


Moments

by SkylerMitsuki5



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Beauty and the Beast Elements, Coming Out, Complicated Relationships, Cute, Daydreaming, Depression, Divorce, Drugs, Dysfunctional Family, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Eventual Happy Ending, Family, Fear, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Growing Up, Happy Ending, Hope, Huddling For Warmth, Hugs, Humor, Identity Crisis (DCU), Kindness, Leaving Home, Literature, Love, M/M, Male Homosexuality, Marriage, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Overthinking, Panic Attacks, Philosophy, Puberty, Self-Harm, Smut, Suicide Attempt, True Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-17
Updated: 2016-01-07
Packaged: 2018-04-09 17:55:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 65,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4358672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkylerMitsuki5/pseuds/SkylerMitsuki5
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As if life hadn't been tough enough with all the past scars the friend group had to face during their childhood and present lives, lives evolve and change around the presence of College where everyone tries to find out who they are and how to grow past the things they've felt and are haunted by. FOcus turns to Nico di Angelo, the gay emo-looking moody writer kid who's always got his head in the clouds questioning and destroying everything, the beautiful illusions and his hopes to live a better life. That is until, he turns to find a person who can be for him someone worth dying for-maybe even worth livng for. As Nico's life tries to improve so does to the people around him, but life catches up trying to trip them down and this story shows how the sudden spark of love in a certain broken kid's eyes, can reincarnate the beauties of the lives around him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Feelings

**Author's Note:**

> Long summary I know... but bear with me it'll be worth it promise. And be nice its my first fic of Solangelo and the gang! X3

The sky was blue. It stretched out everywhere eyesight could glance. It was infinite. It was lonely.  
Like looking into a mirror, thought Nico di Angelo.  
His back felt wet as the wet after-rain grass soaked his entire back-body he was lying on. His earphones boomed with the noise of The Audreys’s Sometimes the Stars.  
He felt insignificant and small, stretching his hand out at the sea of clouds in front of him. It was autumn but Nico forgot to bring a jacket or hoodie, so his T-shirt exposed arms had goose bumps and standing hair. He sighed as he felt a tug of panic in his gut. Like if he wasn’t too fast or strong, this world would swallow him whole. Install him into the system. Trivialize him. Throw him away after they’re done. It terrified him.  
Sometimes he wished he were a cloud. Just a small, lonely patch of vapour fog travelling everywhere and getting attached to nothing. It could cry drops of rain whenever it wanted and no one would find it weird for a cloud to cry.  
Nico would never admit it in his life, but sometimes he wished he could just cry. Just let his tears pool in front of another human being and set his conscience free. But crying was not just humiliating. It was something intimate, something Nico thought could only be shown in front of someone special in your heart. Someone personal. Someone who could love Nico.  
He chuckled. Sure, like he will ever find someone like that.  
Here he was, A Sophomore college student who was gay, wore dark clothing, barely slept and spent half his time with his head above the clouds, daydreaming of possibilities that could never exist. He’s had his head so long in the clouds he’s even dreaming what it’s like being one of them.  
He was hopeless, and just like a cloud, he could feel himself breezing by, never being able to grab onto a home. Never being able to grab onto a heart. It hurt knowing all of this were true, and that there’s a high possibility that in the end of this lifetime, Nico could die reaching his cold bony hand to someone who isn’t there.  
Well isn’t life depressing, Nico laughed bitterly.  
It was nice while Nico’s suicide inducing predictions lasted, but then Nico noticed a head poking into his vision other than the cloudy sky. The head had blonde hair, glasses and an adorable grin with a scar on the lip.  
He was mouthing something, then he reached and plugged Nico’s earphones off his ears, which Nico despised more than anything.  
‘Yo, earth to Nico? I said we’re late for class!’ said the boy irritated hands on hips and his smiling face turning into a pout.  
Nico groaned and dumped his backpack on his face to avoid the persistent blonde ‘Don’t wanna. Besides, Jason, you’re not even in the same major as me!’  
Jason rolled his eyes ‘I’m in History major, big diff. We’re in one building. Now come on, move your lazy butt or they’ll kick you out for the bejillionth tardy in a week’.  
Nico snorted ‘As if I could be that lucky’.  
But he did as he was told. He got up, brushed the grass of his hindquarters and slumped his Jack the Pumpkin King backpack on.  
‘You’re such a killjoy Grace, I don’t know why I even bother hanging out with you’  
‘Er, Nico, I’m the one who hangs out with you. You usually do your very best to get rid of me’ smiled Jason as-a-matter-of-factly.  
‘Oh, right’ said Nico playing the innocent ‘I wonder why’.  
At the campus’s steps Piper got up from her chat with her brother Mitchell and ran in joining Jason and Nico on their walk, giving Jason a soft kiss.  
‘Hey, princess’ Jason hugged Piper tightly as she snuggled under Jason’s arm happily.  
‘Hey sparky, aren’t you two a little late for class?’ she asked.  
Nico knew it was coming.  
‘Well, I wouldn’t be if it weren’t for daydreamer over here getting all deep watching the sky’ Jason elbowed Nico.  
‘Fine, fine. So I spaced out once. Write it on the papers won’t you?’ growled Nico.  
Jason laughed ‘Once?! Yesterday you stopped dead on your tracks in the middle of a green-light in a city where cars never stop’.  
Jason laughed ‘Once?! Yesterday you stopped dead on your tracks in the middle of a green-light in a city where cars literallynever stop’.  
Nico groaned once again rolling his eyes ‘Fine, I do it a lot, but I can’t help it. Your eyes focus somewhere, your mind wonders, you know?’  
Jason didn’t follow that with another retort and glanced at Piper with similar concern. Ever since his big confession to one of their best friends, Percy Jackson, Nico hasn’t been the same. As if he’s made up his mind that he will never find someone desperate enough to love him. Or lucky enough. Nico had made his peace with the fact that he would end up alone and unwanted, at least, that’s what Nico would be like, Jason figured.  
Over time Nico had tried to better himself. He’d given himself a crew-cut look, ate more to bring back some fat and colour to himself and even joined a sparring club to give his triceps and body some more muscle. He still couldn’t cure the shadow under his eyes though, insomnia isn’t something you remedy by eating more or flexing daily at the gym. It was a part of him now, a part that he learned to accept and let be.  
But no matter how much he changed his looks, he could never avoid the inevitable fact; he was a gay, complicated, fucked up student with several stories written and none published under the pretext of “not good enough”.  
Piper put a hand on Nico’s shoulder ‘Listen, Neeks. How about you come with me and Jason to Chris’s college party tonight? It’l be fun. Relax for a change’ she suggested.  
‘And be the uncomfortable third wheel who can’t find anybody because they’re gay so they’ll just get drunk their ass off? Intriguing, but I’m gonna have to go with no on this one, Pipes’ shrugged Nico.  
‘Why not? It’ll be fun! Plus Percy, Annabeth, Leo, Calypso, Hazel and Frank are coming along too!’  
He’d stopped listening after hearing the name Percy.  
‘No’ he said, cold this time, no hint of sarcasm in his tone.  
‘But-’  
‘I told you fucking no didn’t I? Jesus fucking Christ’ Nico starts storming off with a loud growl, attempting to hide his raspy sad voice and his fast beating chest from exploding with mixed emotions. Before Jason or anyone could catch up to bug him more than before, Nico sprinted for the main gates and made a break for his class.  
After hours of mind-numbing lectures, Nico sat exhausted at the campus’s steps massaging his sore neck and groaning at life itself.  
‘Mind if I sit?’ Jason appeared out of nowhere with his usual kind scarred smile.  
‘On the condition that you do not open your mouth’ said Nico begrudgingly.  
Jason laughed and sat beside Nico, silence conquering for 5 minutes until Jason broke it. ‘It’s because of Percy, isn’t it?’  
‘I thought you weren’t supposed to open your mouth’ groaned Nico.  
Jason cocked up his eyebrow in defiance.  
Nico looked into his eyes and sighed. ‘Does Piper know that I still…?’  
‘Nope’ Jason stretched his hands ‘I figured it’s nobody’s business to know that you still…you know?’  
Nico snorted ‘You can say the L word Jason, it’s not like it’ll be less true if you stop using it’.  
They stayed silent for a little more until Jason once again started ‘You should go to Chris’s party’ he said.  
‘And do what exactly? Flirt with guys until I catch a loose one?’ asked Nico.  
‘Maybe. If that’s what it’ll take to make you move on’ shrugged Jason.  
Nico was nervous ‘I…I don’t know, Jason. I really don’t know what to do’.  
Jason sighed and got up reaching his hand to Nico ‘One night, one party. You don’t have fun within the first 5 minutes, you can leave’.  
Nico threw a defiant glare at Jason’s hand ‘And if anyone gives me any trouble for you-know-what-’  
‘-I’ll punch their lights out. What are brothers for?’ he grinned, hand still waiting for Nico.  
Nico glared waiting for Jason to give up but then sighed and took his hand ‘This party better be a blast or else’.  
***  
Much to Nico’s predictions, the party sucked. Anywhere Nico looked, was a patch of college students laughing hysterically and drinking like it was the first time they put liquid in their mouth.  
Nico tried to be rational and walk away so he could avoid the cigarette stink and a hangover for tomorrow. But walking away from a packed house full of drunken hippies throwing themselves at you for sport is harder than you’d think. So Nico caved and thought: fuck it.  
He grabbed the nearest drink he could get, chugging it down seemingly effortlessly but which was actually stinging his eyes and throat. He finished the bottle dangerously fast and yelled ‘WOOHOO!!’ with the whole room joining in.  
After a few seconds of drunk giggling and strolling around, Nico’s stomach alerted its master it needed to visit the toilet bowl asap.  
Sprinting to the toilet seat, Nico almost puked his guts out in the bowl. He lay down on the bathroom floor panting and spitting occasionally into the bowl when he felt more come up.  
After 10 minutes of a really intense vomiting session, Nico leaned at the tub next to him.  
It was really dark, he guessed, and he couldn't see who, but he felt a pair of strong yet delicate arms wrap around his body like an octopus and hold him like Nico was that person's security blanket.. He heard whimpering noises and crying coming from the hugger. He would've investigated further, but his eyelids felt like they were being pulled downwards by hooks and his body was too frail to break the hug and his heart was too frail to leave a person crying alone. He knew how it went. How it felt. He didn't know this person, but he felt what he was feeling. And for Nico di Angelo, overthinking Italian loser, to be able to connect to a person's feelings weighed way more valuably than knowing the person's name. It was different. ANd he hated himself for digging his head too deep into this, as he had now completely sucked his consciousness to a deep slumber curled up to Clarisse's tub with a total stranger. A total stranger with feelings. For the first time all day, Nico smiled.


	2. Tubs, bats and butterflies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys I am so,so,so,so,so sorry for being rlly,rlly,rlly,rlly,rlly late but I was on vacation and I was at a beach house with absolutely no wifi. I am posting this chapter in a fish restaurant just a general FYI. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter :D thanks for reading I luv u birdies

The worst part of a hangover is not the headache, it’s not the pumping realization you’ve consumed way too much, it isn’t even the sudden realization of where you re. It’s who you’re with.  
When Nico opened his eyes and experienced the usual nausea he does whenever he drinks one drop of alcohol, he glanced at his surroundings and felt like he could lie dead on the spot.   
It was morning, that much was clear. The sun rays passing the bathroom windows and hitting the door stung Nico’s eyes like applying vodka on a cut. He was lying in a bathtub. A bathtub. Nico still had a problem with processing the fact that he fell asleep in a bathtub.  
But that still wasn’t the worst part, go figure.  
Nico, tucked under a blanket, was half asleep, in somebody else’s house –their bathtub no less- cuddling another guy.  
What?!  
Nico shot upright panicky. He knew he should have been disguisted. He should’ve been scared that he was with a complete stranger in a strange house.  
But Nico couldn’t find that in him. The guy was… he was gorgeous.  
He had these curly golden hair, like an angelic version of Brad Pitt. His eyebrows and eyelashes were just as beautifully gold.   
His skin was a copper tan, like it had nut chocolate dumped on him and it was inviting you to lick it off him.   
The guy’s face was peppered with little freckles dancing around his copper angelic face.  
His lips were this plump sort of pink.   
They look soft, thought Nico.   
But come on, reasoned the Italian, can you really crush on someone just because they look yummily cute?   
Nico knew plenty of people who fell for that mistake. That’s how all his friends were born.   
At the very least, Nico refused to crush on the kid without knowing his name or his eyes. Eyes explained a lot. Tears come from eyes, and they explain that someone is suffering. Mid-closed eyes showed the person was smiling, and a smile can explain that someone is happy.   
Nico fell in love with eyes, not with lips.  
Then, as if on cue, the guy’s eyes shot open like he’d just realized what he’d done last night.  
That’s when Nico had an emotional seizure.   
His eyes were… they were beautiful. Not the kind of pretty beautiful or smoldering beautiful. Not cause they were sky-blue, no.   
His eyes were distant, they were gentle and kind. Nico couldn’t explain how he knew this, he just…did.   
His eyes reminded Nico of a fire he himself used to have in his heart, a zest for life, hope. It died the day his mom did. It died the day his sister did. It died the day he was kidnapped by that mafia called Tartarus. It died the day he realized he was gay.   
A lot of things died inside of him. The ability to hurt hasn’t. Well, to hurt and love.  
The stranger’s eyes, while pretty, we’re also very puffy and red from crying last night.   
Nico forgot about the fact that the guy was a stranger and instead started figuring why the guy had been crying in the first place. Did someone close to him die? Had he come to the party to unwind or to numb the pain? Who is this guy?  
He suddenly looked up at Nico like he was a ghost.  
Nico mentally snorted. As if.  
‘Who?’ asked the guy.  
‘My question exactly’ answered Nico.  
The guy would’ve kept up, but he started groaning the second he set on his elbow, massaging his temples.  
Nico smiled ‘Yep, I’ve been there’.  
The bathroom door opened and over it stood a girl with a built up body, brown hair, and an annoyed expression across her face.  
‘There’s still more of you? I thought I’d cleaned out all the fuckers who crashed on Chris’s place’.  
The girl was holding a metal baseball bat, not something Nico preferred to see a girl as athletic as her hold. She clamped it on her palm two times and started approaching the college boys.  
‘WOAH WOAH WOAH!’ yelled Nico while the other boy joined in with ‘HOLD IT HOLD IT’.  
Fortunately for them, before the girl could actually swing her bat and do some damage, another guy jumped in grabbing the girl’s bat from her hands.  
‘DAMMIT CLARISSE! I told you, no more bat incidents, my dad can’t keep paying settlements for the 100th crazy bat lady lawsuit!’  
He managed to pry the bat off her hands, putting it somewhere far away from Clarisse’s grasp.  
‘But they’re the 4th couple we’ve found crashing here, Chris!’  
Chris shrugged it off as if not even bothering to put up a fight and admitting defeat. He turned to look at the tub occupying guys.  
‘So’ he started grinning ‘looks like you enjoyed my party’.

***

Nico was sitting in Chris’s kitchen next to the blonde. While the hangovered boys drank water, Chris was leaning on the counter close to them and Clarisse right next to him, getting too familiar with a whisk, swirling it around looking at the two college boys like threatening them with a whisk was about the worst a person could do.  
Chris cleared his throat ‘Um, I guess being the hostess I get to ask explanations first’.  
‘Where do you wanna start?’ asked Nico annoyed.  
‘Your names would be nice, tub cuddlers’ growled Clarisse, still holding onto the whisk dangerously.  
Nico rolled his eyes ‘Tub cuddlers, really?’  
She shrugged ‘You’re the ones who were sleeping in a tub holding each other like the Titanic was about to hit’.  
‘We were even blanketed, I’m guessing you wouldn’t be that nice to do that’ said the blonde kid.  
Clarisse readied her fists ‘Hey, I’m plenty nice!’  
‘Yeah, you look it’ followed Nico.  
‘Anyway’ said Chris before Clarisse could jab at the boys with her whisk ‘I’ve got soccer practice-‘  
‘Pfff, you got kleptomaniacs support group’ blurted Clarisse.  
Chris leaned in close to Clarisse and kissed her ‘Love you, too’.  
Clarisse growled and blushed.   
Chris Picked up his backpack from the bottom of the kitchen counter and made it for the door before turning ‘Oh, and, Clarisse, dragoncakes, please try not to whisk our guests to death’.  
Clarisse threw her whisk at him but the snickering Chris disappeared behind the door and out.  
Nico and the blonde looked at each other as if both thinking: We’re alone with her. Mommy.  
She turned to the boys with the fakest grin Nico had ever seen. And he used to live with his dad. He happens to know a thing or two about fake smiles.  
‘Ok, listen up, dorks. I’m gonna go upstairs and get my baseball bat to clear up the rest of you freeloaders. When I come back down, you better not be here. Did I make myself clear?’  
The boys didn’t sound a peep.  
‘Good’ Clarisse nodded ‘Try not to do anything in this kitchen. I cannot tell you how hard it is to scratch crusty dry cum off the kitchen floor. I swear, it’s like you gay dudes don’t even know what a condom is’.  
She gave them one more dirty look and got out of the kitchen.  
The following minutes were the most awkward Nico had ever faced. And that was saying a lot.  
‘Soooo’ said the blonde.  
God, his voice was raspliy adorable.  
The boy started to talk but cleared his throat instead.  
‘Why were you crying?’ asked Nico.  
That annoying awkward silence came up again. The boy fidgeted in his seat and got a very sad look in his face.  
Nico continued ‘Look, if you don’t wanna tell me, it’s fine. I won’t beat you into submission you know’.  
He laughed ‘Kind of you’.  
Nico scowled ‘You’re calling me kind? You must’ve slipped in that tub and hit your head pretty bad’.  
The guy snorted ‘I wish’.  
They locked eyes for a sec then looked away.  
This was so stupid by Nico’s standards. He felt like he was in a Disney cartoon, he wanted to barf.  
‘Wanna grab something to eat?’ asked the guy kinda nervously.  
Nico wanted to smiled but bit it back ‘Do you always invite the people you hug-rape in other people’s bathtubs to lunch?’  
‘See? We’ve known each other for a few minutes and already we know everything about each other!’ said the blonde cheerfully.  
Nico rolled his eyes.  
The blonde turned to Nico dramatically ‘So you coming?’  
Nico’s stomach howled ‘Ok?’  
‘Good’.  
‘Great’.  
They heard footsteps.  
‘Wanna run for the door before batzilla gets us?’ asked the blonde.  
Nico chuckled ‘Beats beating’.  
They ran for it before Clarisse could’ve caught them.  
They walked through Chris Rodriguez’s porch silently.  
‘Will, Doctoral major’ said the blonde.  
Nico raised an eyebrow ‘Say what?’  
‘My name. It’s Will Solace. I’m majoring in Medicine’.  
‘Oh’ answered the Italian.  
The blonde stuffed his hands in his pockets looking at the boy beside him ‘As preschool textbook as this sounds: What’s your name?’  
He hesitated then gave in ‘Nico, Nico di Angelo. Ummm, Literature major’.  
Will smiled ‘Glad to meet you’.  
It was at that moment when Will flashed that bright sincere smile and looked at him with those emotionally beautiful eyes that Nico realized: his heart was royally fucked.


	3. Happy Meal

Will was nice enough to let Nico choose where they’d eat. At least, Will was nice enough not to complain when Nico made the choice all by himself.  
After an hour of waiting in line in McDonalds, the college boys sat on a two chaired table inside the building, both a little nervous.  
Nico started feeling his heartbeat grow pace, his cheeks felt hot and his tummy got these mini jabs, like kisses from the insides.  
Will was right in front of him, looking at Nico with those peculiar amazing eyes. He felt the urge to kiss them lightly then felt like a pile of shit. Why did he have to be gay? Why couldn’t he like girls? Why did he have to feel throbs in his tummy every time he saw a guy that appealed to his turn-ons?  
Nico admits he isn’t the type to like guys who are obviously handsome and rugged and the perfect prince charming, but then again, there’s a reason why the heart is located in the chest and why the penis is located way down in the hips. They want different things.   
That’s why Nico felt cursed that he found a guy who appealed to both organs but not to Nico’s orientation.  
Plus, it was then that Nico realized he’d been silent for a long time, staring at the guy.  
He didn’t seem fazed by the looks though.  
‘Your food’s gonna get cold’ said Will, looking at Nico right in the eye.  
Nico stood a few more seconds staring like a retard then shook his head awkwardly ‘Oh! Right, right, sorry. You’re right. Right, let’s dig in’.  
Nico’s face felt like it burst into flames as Will laughed hysterically.  
Still mid-laughing and taking breath in, Will started picking at his salad with his fork ‘You don’t need to be so nervous, you know. I’m a vegetarian, I don’t eat emo’.  
Nico crossed his arms, lowering his head so his falling bangs could hide his rosy red cheeks ‘I’m not emo’.  
Will snorted ‘Dude, you wore all black to a party and spent all night into a bathroom, away from music and people. You’re the KING of emos. You should have a little black medal with a skull on it that says “Emo of the Year”’.  
‘Could you be any more of a dork?’ asked Nico, nipping at his burger.  
‘Depends’ nodded Will.  
‘On?’ asked Nico.  
‘On how long you’re willing to put up with me’ grinned Will.  
Nico wanted to jab Will’s fork in his own guts to squish the butterflies attacking his stomach walls.   
Why did a guy this obnoxious need to be this adorable?  
‘Yeah, well don’t expect me to be here for long’ assured Nico.  
Will’s smile dropped to a pout which Nico felt personally bad for ‘You got another guy waiting?’  
Nico was startled at the “guy” part for a bit then awoke ‘Well, not that it’s any of your business, sunshine, but we Literature majors have term papers stacked beyond our heads’.  
Will chuckled ‘Says the emo who got drunk as fuck at a college party like it was his last night on earth’.  
‘I never do that!’ snapped Nico ‘It was a--’  
‘--one time thing?’ completed Will.  
Nico growled ‘You know what? Just forget it. I can’t believe I pitied a self-absorbed ass like you!’  
‘Woah, hey!’ Will grabbed Nico’s arm before he could get up ‘I didn’t mean anything by it. I’m not the type who curls into people’s bathtubs and grab the nearest person into a “hug-rape” either’.  
Nico weighed on the situation.   
If he left now, he’d spare himself a lot of pain and spare Will a lot of time and bad luck.  
But then again, could he really leave him like this without listening to his explanation?  
He seated himself on his chair comfortably, straightened up and with a wave of his hand he gestured Will to continue.  
Will looked puzzled though ‘What?’  
‘You got my attention. What were you doing crying in a tub at midnight?’  
Nico spotted hesitation in Will’s eyes, something he himself felt every time he had a reunion with his own fucking dad.  
Nico softened ‘Is it bad?’  
Will looked down, his eyes a little shinnier than before-wet- his lip almost trembling, he nodded lightly.  
2 minutes passed, but Will didn’t speak. Nico didn’t push him. Pushing is the last thing a person in this apparent state needs.  
Then Will cleared his throat and started looking around the restaurant, weakly grabbing his fork and trying to scoop up the lettuce and beans in one take.  
‘Look, if you don’t want to tell me, it’s ok. We just met. I wouldn’t trust a stranger with my personal problems this soon either’.  
‘It’s not that’ said Will quickly ‘I’m just… not used to “sharing feelings”’.  
Nico mentally laughed ‘Right back at ya there’.  
Will smiled, grateful that nico didn’t push it.  
He cleared his throat again ‘So what’s your story? What were you doing getting your ass drunk?’  
Nico smiled at that ‘Just you know. Life’.  
Will laughed painfully cute ‘That guy’s always trying to kill us’.  
‘Ironic, huh?’ asked Nico.  
‘Very. But to quote unquote the great queen of Disco: We will survive’.  
Nico snickered ‘You know Queer as Folk?’  
‘I breathe Queer as Folk, thank you very much’ answered Will snapping his fingers.  
Nico actually chuckled warmly ‘I never knew straight guys liked gay TV shows’.  
‘Who said I was straight?’ asked Will, taking a bit of salad casually.  
If Nico was religious, he’d be bowing to the lord right about now and baptize himself in front of the whole fast food clients in gratitude .  
Unfortunately, Nico had been sipping coke from his straw and spat it out as soon as he heard Will.  
He cleaned up the table with a napkin, gaping at Will ‘You’re gay?’  
‘Bi’ corrected Will ‘I don’t see why I have to settle for taco or sausage as long as I love the person underneath’.  
Ok, Nico just confirmed that god was fucking him over again by sending an angelic Brad Pitt who’s bi and not to mention poetic at heart in his own food referencing way.  
It was like displaying a banana split with extra chocolate sauce to someone who has diabetes. It was like showing BBC’s Sherlock to someone who deaf-blind. It was something he could never have.  
‘But… how?’ asked Nico, dazed.  
Will looked a little worried ‘Are you…. Um… homophobic?’  
Nico chortled ‘Please, I’m about as straight as a male hairstylist’.  
Will sighed relieved then grinned ‘This must be some fate. Is that a mirror in your pocket? Because I can see myself in your pants’ he wiggled his eyebrows.  
Nico’s tummy took a ride down kinfetopia where it got some pretty dangerous little throbbings and flips. Then he recovered and almost gagged ‘I’m just going to pretend you didn’t just unleash the worst pick-up line in the world’.  
Will smiled ‘But didn’t you kinda pick up on my “preferences” with your gaydar?’  
‘Gaydar?’  
‘You know, gay radar. Or in this case, bidar’.  
‘Oh my fucking god, stop’ gasped Nico, holding his mouth not to laugh.  
He opened up his Happy Meal box and pulled out a miniature Buzz Lightyear figurine to distract himself from the anticipation he was feeling, meeting a bi kind hottie and knowing he could never have him.  
When Will saw the figurine he almost fell off his chair laughing ‘OH MMY FUCKING GOD, YOU ACTUALLY BOUGHT A HAPPY MEAL?!’   
Nico’s eyes narrowed, shooting daggers at Will. ‘Got a problem with it?’  
When Wills breathing stabilized, he cleared tears from his eyes and tried to look serious ‘No, sir. It just… An emo kid ordering Happy Meals is about the cutest thing ever!’  
Nico sighed ‘I wonder if you’re worth being considered as a human being, sunshine’.  
‘Look who’s getting “uncharactersiticaly” grumpy, death boy!’  
‘What did you just call me?’ asked Nico baffled.  
Will grinned mischievously ‘Death boy. Got a problem with that, death boy?’   
Nico growled loudly ‘If we weren’t at my favourite place right now, Solace, I swear I’d--’  
‘I liked “sunshine” better’ pouted Will.  
Before the irritation match could continue, Nico’s Samsung S3’s ringtone- the theme of Tokyo Ghoul the anime voicing- got Will to fall off his chair this time gagging in his own breath laughing.  
Nico blushed ‘Oh you know what?’ he flipped him off ‘Fuck you!’  
He pressed the green phone sign before checking the caller.  
‘Hello?’ he grumbled.  
‘Tell me just who the fuck do you think you are sleeping with a total man-babe at someone else’s house cuddling without telling me every single dirty detail?!’ Jason’s voice boomed full of excitment.  
Great, thought Nico. Just great.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am a total TV and books nerd plz don't judge me T_T I'm an anime fan too and to all u other anime fans that care my bible and absolute favorite anime creation ever on TV is Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood so I will definitely make solangelo love it too :3 
> 
> PS. Queer as Folk is a gay tv show talking about the lives of the gay community in the USA.
> 
> I love you all alot and I hope u like it. Kudos and comments and recommending this is HIGHLY SUPER appreciated :) thank u for ur support <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok this chapter is ALOT more angsty then i originally intended it to be but I kinda poured all my feels on it and hope you appreciate Nico and want to offer him a super giant mega bear hug plz. I hope you enjoy this and maybe help you move on from the same things Nico is feeling. I'll be ur Jason :))) ok so Skyler out! ;) Kudos and comment plz thank u and if u have requests or headcanons I'm more than happy to fullfil them in any way I can :D

‘I hate you’ announced Jason to Nico. They were both leaning on the kitchen counter of their shared apartment biting on totally charcoal black toast Nico was too proud to throw away.  
‘Can’t say I don’t share the same sentiment’ confessed Nico.  
‘Jason’s right, Neeks’ said Leo, stealing a slightly less burned piece of toast from Nico’s hand ‘It is pretty shitty that you met a guy like that who hello? Is bi and the perfect puzzle piece for you’.  
‘That’s my fucking personal life, you know!’ he growled.  
Piper cocked up an eyebrow ‘Personal? So you guys are romantically involved’.  
‘No, we’re NOT! Look, he’s just some guy I spent a night with in a tub and ate at McDonalds, that’s ALL!’  
‘Ummm if that isn’t romantic involvement, I don’t know what is’ returned Percy switching through channels on TV in the living room right next to the kitchen.  
Nico blushed profusely ‘Whatever! Will you get the fuck out of my apartment and stop bugging me with your shipping me with Will which is impossible’.  
They all frowned ‘Why are you like this Nico? Why do you think no one will love you?’ asked Annabeth worriedly, head rising from a book she’d buried herself in.  
‘Yeah. If I were gay, I’d date you, man’ Leo winked at Nico.  
Nico rolled his eyes and shook black bread crust from his palms.  
‘How do you even know about what happened with me and Will anyway?’ Nico turned to Jason.  
Jason shrugged ‘Chris is in my Psychology class. I congratulated him for the party and he happened to mention the “Gay freshmans that passed out in his tub holding each other passionately”’.  
Nico banged his head on the table ‘Is everyone on campus going to find out that I’m gay?!’  
Piper looked at the guys then at Nico ‘Pretty much’.  
‘I don’t get why you’re fussing so much about it. So you like to be done instead of doing. Big diff. The only person who finds this abnormal is you’ pointed out Annabeth all the while reading.  
‘Guys, guys’ chimed Piper ‘I think you’re all overlooking the million dollar question. Nico: did you guys exchange contact info of any kind?’  
Nico pretended he wasn’t hearing then Percy looked up from the TV ‘By god, he did!’  
‘No, I didn’t!’ shouted Nico, redder than ever.  
‘So my facebook account is broken then cause when I open Will’s page, here it reads that he and I have one mutual friend, let’s see who it is!’ Jason grinned as he clicked on friends list.  
Nico ran to the bathroom but just before he closed the doors, he heard several wolf whistles emanating from the kitchen.  
In the bathroom, Nico sighed and started breathing heavily. He rubbed his forehead and leaned on the bathroom’s door.  
His eyes were filled with liquid and he felt his palms shake.  
He wasn’t ready for this. He wasn’t ready to hurt again.  
He was still caught up on his past pains to get new ones.  
Nico knew deep inside that he’d never find a guy who could mend him and be strong enough to deal with Nico’s fucked up shit.  
That’s what scared him.   
Meeting Will got him thinking.   
Maybe things could turn around. Maybe he still has a chance to find someone that could hold him whenever he had attacks like these.  
This is exactly why he hated himself.   
Every time he started dreaming, he’d get burned. Burned bad.  
Hoping for the better with Will, is it his ticket out of the hell he’s in or is it something that will scare him worse than he already is?  
Tears were falling down his face now. His breathing got stubborn but he managed to remember the breathing exercises he’d been taught with Jason the first time he had an attack and freaked the ghost out of Jason.  
After a few more minutes, Nico’s heart started to stabilize pace again. His vision got more vivid and he found himself looking at the bathroom mirror.  
The boy in front of him.   
God, did Nico hate him.  
He hated his looks, he hated his attitude, his father, his rotten luck but mostly, he hated his eyes.  
They weren’t pretty. They weren’t blue or green. They weren’t beautiful and full of life like Will’s. They didn’t shine or hope or show the kid using them is trying to fight.   
No.  
Those eyes were dead.  
They were almost charcoal black, lifeless, dull and teary.  
The eyes of the child who wanted to be an angel.  
He cleared the tears off his eyes with his wrists and bent down, splashing his face with water and pretending that each splash was going to make his face looks beautiful.  
They didn’t.  
Nico grabbed a towel and dried his face.  
He opened up the mirror’s cabinet and grabbed a tiny pink box that looked like powder.  
Slipping some of it on his palm, he clogged one nose hole and sniffed the powdery product with the other.  
The fallen angel has to do anything he can to stop himself from hurting. From hoping.  
Nico made sure he didn’t leave any pinch of meth dust in the bathroom so Jason won’t know Nico had started drugs again.  
He flushed the toilet to make it look like he’d just spent 10 minutes regretting eating the toast and stepped outside.  
Nobody looked suspicious, though Jason did eye him like every time he does when Nico gets out of the bathrrom after spending more than 2 minutes inside.  
Nico looks away and leans on the counter, eyeing his palm where a number was written with a little sun smiling at the corner.  
That made Nico smile, then whimper.  
‘That his number? You gonna call him?’ asked Percy, friendly wrapping one arm around Nico’s neck .  
Instictively, Nico slapped Percy’s arm away ‘Don’t touch me, Jackson’.  
Jason, Piper and Leo eyed each other.  
Percy just held his hands up ‘Hey, sorry’.  
‘Anywayyyyyyy’ stretched out Leo, trying to change the atmosphere asap ‘When are Frank and Hazel coming over? You guys invited them too, right?’  
‘Which brings me to my question’ said Nico ‘Why have you invited our whole friend circle in our rat hole apartment?’  
Jason still gave Nico a sceptical glare ‘I thought it might be fun to reunite every once in a while. Especially when our Nicopoo has gotten himself a man toy’.  
‘Why does everyone keep giving me shitty nicknames?’ growled the Italian.  
‘Has your boyfriend given you one too, perhaps?’ asked Leo, batting his eyelashes.  
Nico blushed again and said ‘..No’.  
Piper lit up like a Christmas tree ‘He did! What did he call you?!’  
Nico knew he’d regret this, but he figured it was better to get his friends off his back rather than give them a horseback ride.  
‘….Death Boy’ he whispered.  
‘Can’t hear ya!’ announced Percy mockingly, holding his hand to his ear.  
‘DEATH BOY!’ yelled Nico. And that got the whole room laughing like a How I Met Your Mother canned laughter set.  
Nico just held up his middle finger to everybody which made them laugh even more, if at all possible.  
Thankfully, the doorbell rang and Nico sprinted to it ‘I’ll get that!’  
When he opened the door, for the first time all day, he smiled.  
Seeing his little sister’s adorable sweet face did that to him. His only ray of sun.  
For now, whispered his subconscious.  
‘Nico!’ Hazel shouted as she tackled her big brother in a bear hug which Nico didn’t mind coming from his sister.  
‘I missed you so much!’ she continued helping Nico up and brushing his bangs of his face to kiss his eyes.  
Nico chuckled ‘Me too, Haz. You seem awfully cheerful, though’.  
‘Oh’ she said blushing and glancing at Frank behind her.  
He waved shyly at Nico ‘Hi’.  
Nico nodded at him ‘Frank’.  
After everybody reminisced, Nico went to Hazel hugging her and kissing her head.   
‘What’s going on with you and Frank, did he propose or something?’ asked Nico jokingly.  
Hazel look down and tried to hide her hand dressed with a golden Claddagh ring with a sky-blue diamond for the heart.  
That’s when the penny dropped.  
Nico’s eyes widened and he turned to Frank ‘You guys are getting married?!’  
‘WHAT?!’ followed the whole room with equal enthusiasm.  
‘You’re getting married?! Congrats!!’ boomed Annabeth uncharacteristically hyper.  
They all turned their heads to her.  
‘What?’ she shrugged ‘Am I not allowed to be excited that my favourite couple is getting married?’  
‘I thought we were your favourite couple!’ frowned Jason.  
‘Put a ring on her finger and we’ll talk’ warned Annabeth pointing at Piper.  
Everybody laughed and the door buzzed again.  
Jason opened it this time getting the one and only Reyna Arellano Ramirez.  
A slight second of awkwardness encircled Jason and Reyna but Reyna recovered quickly.  
‘Hey everyone!’ she grinned at all of them ‘What’s the big fuss about? I heard laughter from the end of the hallway just so you know’.  
‘Hazel and Frank are engaged!’ said Percy with an ear high smile.  
Reyna got majorly jumpy, greeting everybody and kissing Nico’s cheek.  
They all rejoiced on the news and arrival of the whole group all night long.  
At 7 pm they put on some movies to watch like Back to the Future, My neighbour Totoro, Perks of Being a Wallflower and Saving Mr Banks, all the betrothed couple’s favourites.  
They drank and chatted and kept teasing Frank for taking such a manly step to which he blushed crazily muttering ‘Cut it out guys’.  
‘Oh, if you saw him in more intimate moments, you’d witness just how manly Frank Zhang is’ cooed Hazel, a little drunk.  
‘Hazel!’ spat Frank and Nico in unison, then Nico gave Frank a furious glare.  
‘Just how far have you gone with my baby sister?’ he asked coldly.  
Hazel laughed then paused and looked at Nico answering ‘It’s not a question of how far, but how deep’.  
Frank wrapped his hands on his ears ‘Kill me now’.  
‘Gladly’ managed Nico as he was pulling up his sleeves, ready to fight.  
‘No!’ shouted Hazel overdramatically, probably the effect of the alcohol. ‘Nico, I love him!’   
She hugged Frank tightly to which everybody awed and Nico rolled his eyes although a smile crept his way on his lips.  
At least Hazel’s happy, he thought.  
‘But wait everybody, there’s more. Our Nicola has also found himself a birdie’ announced Jason with a Cheshire cat smile.  
Everybody wooed and whistled at Nico, some hitting him with pillows and some ruffling his hair.  
‘Really?’ asked Reyna, eyebrow raised ‘Who is this mystery guy?’  
Nico growled between clenched teeth ‘Nobody’.  
‘Allow me’ bowed Leo and cleared his throat.   
‘There once was a boy named Nico, who never liked to club.   
Though late one night, out of sight, he ended up in a tub.  
But fear nor moan for he was not alone, Nico’s confusion came in handy.  
As he stumbled inside the tub with fright, he found his own man candy!’  
Everybody clapped for Leo and Leo bowed cockily a few more times ‘Thank you, you’re too kind’.  
Nico massaged his own temples ‘That was so wrong on so many levels’.  
‘What happened though?’ asked Hazel giggly.  
‘Are you dating this guy?’ asked Frank.  
‘Look, I went to a party, got drunk and when I went and puked my guts out in the bathroom, someone dragged me in the tub and I fell asleep. The guy who pulled me is this Med student called Will who’s a total dork’ announced Nico seemingly grumpily, but he was so enjoying this.  
And everybody knew too.  
‘When are you seeing him again?’ asked Reyna.  
Nico didn’t think about it. Any snippy remarks that had been resting on his tongue died in his mouth. Would he see him again? Would Will want to see him again?   
Nico had his number and forgot to give his own.   
Should he take the first step and try.  
He remembered how he felt in the mirror before. He wanted to hit himself.  
He grabbed a napkin and started erasing the inky numbers on his palm.  
‘Fuck no!’ he said.  
‘Why not?’ asked Piper.  
‘Because I don’t want to. Good enough?’ he glanced at everyone, daring them to disapprove.  
They all just shook their heads scarcely agreeing with Nico though they all felt guilty about it.  
‘That’s not good enough’ said Reyna in a serious tone.  
Nico looked at her with those broken eyes and calmly said ‘I’m not ready for this, okay? I’m not ready for Will’.  
This time Reyna’s eyes softened and she let it go.  
Everybody avoided this matter further throughout the night.  
After a lot of private partying, everybody pulled pillows and blankets in the living room’s sofas, floors, wherever it fit to snuggle up and have a good one.  
Jason, Percy and Leo got the bottom floor sleeping beside each other, Annabeth and Piper sleeping foot to foot on one of the couch, Frank and Hazel cuddling on the sofa with a blanket on them and Reyna and Nico occupied the other end of the floor.  
‘It may not be ideal’ voiced Jason, snuggling with percy and Leo no matter how much Nico called them “acting plain gay”.  
‘Beats sleeping in a tub’ said Nico followed by everybody’s giggles.  
‘Night, guys’ announced Annabeth and everyone followed her example.  
After half an hour, once everybody looked sound asleep, Nico got up slowly, creeping into the bathroom.  
In the half hour, Nico had a nightmare about those nights in that warehouse of the Tartaru’s gang’s. He’d seen himself drowning into his own reflection and his reflection repeatedly stabbing him. The panic was swelling his system again.  
His hands shook as he reached the cabinet for another whiff of meth but his hands dropped the little pink box on the sink.  
It had caused a little clink, but the box remained closed and Nico sighed relieved.  
‘Up for a midnight whiff?’ asked Jason, standing at the bathroom door.  
Nico turned panicking ‘J-J-Jason. When did you--’  
Stupid Nico! Jason was a light sleeper. He’d hear a butterfly land on a leaf in Asia when he was asleep.   
The box clanking against the sink must’ve woken him up.  
‘Nico, we’ve been through this 4 times!’ whispered Jason harshly, closing the door behind him not to wake the rest up.  
‘Butt out, Grace. It’s my life and I have the right to fuck it up as much as I want to!’ shot Nico back, still trying to maintain his breath normal.  
Jason got tomato red, which for the first time ever, scared Nico.  
‘No, you’re wrong, Neeks. It’s not just your life and you don’t have the right to fuck it up as much as you want to! You’ve got a ton of friends who are still worried about you every time you got out of rehab! Think about your little sister, she’s engaged and you wanna ruin her wedding by sending her only brother to rehab instead of in the ceremony?! Don’t you think she’s got enough going with her mom in the psych ward?! Don’t ever fucking say it’s only your life, ever! It’s not! Because you’re part of our lives too, dammit!’  
Nico stared at Jason then looked at the box of meth on his hand.  
‘But Jason, it’s…it’s..’ his voice cracked and his eyes watered again for the second time this today ‘it’s the only thing I can take to numb the pain. It’s all I can do so I can keep living for Hazel… it’s just all that can fix me even if temporarily. It makes me better, don’t you get that?! It makes me happy!’  
Nico started crying silently and muffled his voice by covering his mouth.  
Jason walked up to him and wrapped his arms around Nico, rocking him back and forth ‘You know it isn’t, Nico. It doesn’t fix you. It doesn’t make you a better person. You don’t need to be fixed. You’re not a broken machine! You’re a human being. You’re Nico di Angelo. Our perfect little black angel. This’ he took the box from Nico’s hand ‘This doesn’t make you happy, it drains your happiness, till there’s nothing left. Eternal happiness, you won’t find it in a jarful of poisonous powder, you find it in your sister. In all of us. And the after-effects we leave, the bonds we strengthen, they aren’t bad. They’re beautiful. You’re beautiful Nico. You don’t need this if you really believe me when I tell you that we are all you need as reason to be happy. Get me?’  
Nico felt sick. He was tired and he felt very sad. And he felt ugly.  
Jason broke the hug, opened the box, dropped the powder down the toilet bowl and flushed the drug away.  
Nico had already wiped his tears with the sleeve of his pyjama.  
Jason smiled and from a bathroom drawer he pulled out a notebook and pencil ‘Whatever you feel, write’.  
Nico nodded and took them in his hand, though he didn’t do anything with them.  
Jason patted his back ‘You could’ve told me the panic attacks are back, you know’.  
Nico didn’t say a word. Jason sighed and in a mid-hug ruffled Nico’s hair.  
‘You’re such a handful!’ teased Jason.  
Nico managed a weak, broken ‘Sorry’.  
‘C’mon, let’s go to bed. I am not letting you cook breakfast tomorrow. That toast wasn’t worth dog-shit’ said Jason and Nico laughed.  
When they both lied down, Nico snuggled on Reyna’s back and spooned with her, feeling fragile. He left the notebook and pencil over his head. Writing could never compare to spooning on human warmth.  
Reyna didn’t push him off, though. She grabbed his hand and held it tightly till morning came.  
***  
By noon, the apartment looked like a hair salon as all the girls littered the whole floors, tables and seating areas with curling irons, brushes and hair straighteners.  
Percy found a tampon at the bottom of his cereal bowl. And somehow, he guessed it didn’t come as a cereal box toy prize.  
When he saw Nico make way to make coffee, Percy got up and whispered in Nico’s ear ‘C’mon, give the guy a chance’.  
‘Who?’ asked Nico, though he knew exactly who Percy was talking about.  
Percy rolled his eyes and handed Nico a small napkin with Will’s number on it.  
‘Will, that’s who. I memorized his number when I saw your palm yesterday. It’s still not too late. And don’t give me that ready crap. You’re dying to meet him!’  
‘Sorry Perse, but I got some studying to do’ Nico attempted to walk away but Percy grabbed Nico’s soldier.  
‘Nico, you can be a writer anytime. But you can’t be happy if you don’t let yourself try’.  
Percy smiled and still held the napkin on his hand.  
Nico eyed it as if it was his stick of life. Go figure.  
He hesitated.  
Strengthening bonds isn’t a bad thing. It’s beautiful. That;s what Jason told him.  
Eternal happiness. It sounded too good to be true.  
He snatched the number from Percy’s hand and ran to the bathroom, dialling Will’s number and shaking this time, with a smile.


	5. Rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for being late on updates, I have a very pesky flu and I had to unpack bcz SOME PEOPLE *raises voice to father and sisters* won't help me unpack. Anyway, omg guys I was so happy with how many great responses I got for this fanfiction thank you all SO MUCH u guys are amazing <3 thank u. I will make this fic as amazing as possible for u all. it's still the very beginning I have so many plans for every character not just Solangelo. Hope u like it. I srsly love u guys and thank u all <3 rlly

Chapter 5:   
It had been approximately 2 hours ‘till Nico totally abandoned his efforts to find a decent piece of clothing in his shitty closet.  
So he thought to himself: screw it, let’s skip to the hair.  
And that’s when Nico growled for the 600th time tonight, trying to make his rat-skin ropey hair to look nice.   
Pft, sure, that’ll happen.  
But he did manage to get himself 10 times more anxious when he remembered how his conversation with Will went on the phone.  
When Grim Reaper called Prince Charming:  
Four beeps until someone picked up. It was the voice of a little girl.  
Little Girl: Hello? Will’s phone, Amy speaking.  
Nico: ……Hi…Amy. Is your, er, brother or father or whatever…there?  
Amy: My dad’s not here. But my stepdad and brother are! My cousins too! They’re visiting us for the fall.  
Nico: That’s nice. Is Will your cousin? Because I’d love to talk to him.  
Amy: You’d like to talk to my cousin? You know him?  
Nico: No, no. I mean Will.  
Amy OH, Ok!  
Nico listens as Amy’s voice stretches through the room she’s in calling ‘WIIIIIILLLLL!’  
Loud steps are heard then the phone cringes a bit  
‘How many times do I have to tell you not to answer my phone? There could be people with bad language calling!’ scolded Will through the other end of the phone.  
Nico snorted. It’s like he knew Nico was the caller.  
‘Why do people who use bad language have your number?’ pointed out Amy and giggled.  
‘Go downstairs, I think Stuart calmed down’ said Will and Amy’s little pitter patters started to distance ’till they couldn’t be heard anymore.  
Will: Hello? Sorry, about that. Will speaking now.  
Nico: Ummm….Hey. It’s, um, Nico.  
Will: You called! I was scared I’d gotten you ticked off when I laughed the other day.   
Nico: What? Oh. Nah, it takes way more than that to get me angry, trust me.  
Will: That’s a relief to say the least. Though if I wanted to, I could totally get you mad.  
Nico: Dreaming is nice for people like you.  
Will: I could!  
Nico: Couldn’t!  
Will: Could!  
Nico: Couldn’t!  
Will: Totally could. Actually, are as we are speaking.  
Nico mentally rolled his eyes.  
Will: Right, sorry, sorry. You were going to say something?  
Nico: Who said that I was gonna say something?  
Will: Ummmmm you called me?  
Nico: Right, ok, well. I was wondering if you’re not too busy tomorrow after classes, you’d want to like, I don’t know, go to a movie or something?  
Will: You do realize it took you days to say this sentence?  
Nico: Bye, Will.  
Will: Sorry! Sorry, I was just teasing. Please don’t hang up!  
Nico sighed.  
Will: So basically, you’re asking me out…on a date?  
Nico: You are so not gonna make me repeat it.  
Will: Oh…well…  
Nico sighed again. Here it comes: The knife of rejection.  
Nico: Look, I get it if you don’t want to. To be honest I wouldn’t go out with me either. Sorry, I called, I—  
Will: No, no, no! That’s not it at all! I was just a little surprised. I didn’t think someone unique and sophisticated like you would wanna date a medical geek kind of guy like me.  
Nico mentally laughed his ass off. If Will only knew.  
Nico: Well. Is it a yes or a no, Solace?  
Will: Definitely a yes. But what happened to “Sunshine”?  
Nico: I’m calling you that on the condition that I pick the movie and you buy the buttered, greasy popcorn.  
Will: Greasy? No way! I’ve seen the way you inhaled that burger in McDonalds, death boy. It’ll be healthy eating from now on!  
Nico: You wish.  
Will: May the most stubborn one win.  
Nico: God, you’re such a dork.  
Will: One of my very best qualities!  
Nico rolls his eyes.  
Will: Tomorrow at Macey’s. 7 p.m. sharp. Doctor’s orders!  
Nico: Doctor’s orders? You’re a medical student, don’t get ahead of yourself, sunshine.  
Nico suspected Will mentally high fived himself when he said “sunshine”.  
Will: Irrelevant. As long as you’re unhealthy and I’m the medical student, you’ll need me.  
Nico: What about when I’m healthy again?  
Will: Ah, my work is done.  
Nico: Whatever, just don’t forget to be there tomorrow, got it?  
Will: Wouldn’t miss it for the world, black beauty.  
Nico wanted to protest, but Will’s absolute dorkiness made a laugh slip his lips.  
Will was undoubtedly smiling.  
Then Nico heard a kind of wailing on Will’s end of the phone.   
A door opened and he could hear Amy’s hysterical crying voice.  
Will’s voice kinda got stiff.  
Will: Talk to you later, k? Have a great day, death boy.  
Then he hung up.  
Nico felt a tinge of concern wondering why Amy had started crying but dismissed it as not his business.  
He just silently thanked Alexander Graham Bell for inventing the phone.  
Nico’s face looked rosy pink in front of the mirror where he was preparing himself for his date.  
He was about to burst with embarrassment every time he remembered that he was going on an actual human date, among others.  
He actually found somebody who said yes. Will wasn’t disgusted.  
Or he’s probably trying to be nice agreeing on the date.  
Whichever, it got Nico’s mind off stressful things. He wasn’t looking at his ugly eyes in the mirror, he was preoccupied with a comb trying to untangle his hair trying to make himself look good for Will.  
The hair. They kept him busy.  
Don’t get him wrong. He still felt like a total useless human being meaninglessly taking up space in the world, but tonight, for the first time in a very, very, very long time, Nico felt something ancient.  
He felt unpredictability.   
He broke his monotone routine of misery. He got the balls to call the guy that made his knees jelly to go out and not stay at home wallowing in self-pity.  
This was it. His chance to start trying again.  
To try to be happy.  
His damn hair, though.  
Piper walked out of Jason’s bedroom wearing nothing but Jason’s flannel shirt and bunny slippers.  
She’d wear more, but those were the perks of having a boyfriend who’s roommate was gay.  
Her hair was all frizzy and she looked really tired but had a goofy grin on her face.  
‘You guys are really loud’ confessed Nico to her, still trying to fix his hair.  
Piper smiled ‘Oops?’  
Nico snorted ‘Tell that to the roommate a wafer-thin wall next to you guys’ sex lounge’.  
Piper laughed ‘Sorry, Neeks. We’ll try to keep it down. What the hell are you doing?!’  
A smug grin painted itself across Piper’s face ‘Are you getting ready for a date? Is it with Will?’  
Nico knew he couldn’t get things past Piper. The woman had this irresistible voice that made you feel like telling her everything.  
‘Please don’t tell Jason’ Nico begged ‘I don’t want all of campus and the teachers knowing my personal life’.  
‘My lips are sealed’ she said zipping her mouth.  
‘Good’ said Nico and returned to his stupid hair. This was hopeless.  
Piper just stood there amused watching Nico try to comb his hair.  
Finally she had enough ‘Here, let me help’.  
She took the comb from Nico’s hand and put it on the coffee table.  
‘It’s never gonna work with a comb. And a brush would make your hair look puffy and weird, hmmm’ then she snapped her fingers and went to the bathroom.  
‘I hope you didn’t leave me and my hair in this state just to pee’ shouted Nico over his shoulder.  
Piper came back with a gel pact, a hair spray and what looked like a very suspicious looking hair thingamabob.  
‘You’re not coming anywhere near me with those’ warned Nico pointing at Piper’s baggage.  
‘Nico, trust me. My mom is Aphrodite, the supermodel who started off her career in a unisex salon, I got this’.  
‘Oh so usually you hate what your mom does but when it comes to forcing me into a hairdo, she’s your ace card’.  
She grinned ‘Exactly’.  
Nico closed his eyes and held his breath as Piper worked on his hair surprisingly naturally.   
Like she was born to do this.  
When she was done, she exclaimed ‘Tada!’  
When Nico opened his eyes, he was extremely relieved that Piper hadn’t done half a bad job.  
His hair looked almost the same, but it looked healthier and softer. It didn’t look like every group of hair had formed a knot.  
‘Well?’ nudged Piper.  
Nico checked himself left and right ‘Not bad, Pipes. You managed to make me look decent’.  
Piper snickered smugly then eyed him up and down.  
‘Piper, I love you but I’m gay’ replied Nico sarcastically.  
Piper punched him lightly on the bicep, which felt like punching a bar of steel.  
‘Is this what you’re wearing?’ she asked in disbelief.  
‘Yes’ he said ‘Not good enough?’  
Piper hummed and checked him out longer ‘You need new close. Your closet looks like you raided Jack the Pumkin King’s wardrobe’.  
‘It’s so helpful to insult my clothing and suggest I buy new ones 5 minutes before a date’.  
‘At least get out of those skinny jeans, you look like a teenage boy band fan. And wearing that white with black stripes hoodie breaks the tension off your black t-shirt’.  
Nico obeyed and eyeing himself in the mirror, he turned to Piper ‘You scare me’.  
Piper bowed and hugged Nico giddily.  
‘Can I ask one thing?’ asked Piper.  
Nico shrugged.  
‘Why d’you do this? I mean just the night before you were so furious at the mention of the possibility of you and Will. You seemed pretty out of everything and that time in campus you looked really bad. What changed?’  
Nico smiled, put on his hoodie and opened the door ‘Your boyfriend is really annoying’ and he walked out.  
Piper just looked at the door puzzled and somehow content.  
She didn’t even care what is turning Nico’s life around.  
As long as their little black angel was okay, everything else was bearable.  
She felt old memories stirring, making her feel uncomfortable and lonely.  
Piper ran back to Jason’s room, in desperate need for a cuddle.  
***  
Pedestrian traffic is a bitch.  
Nico ran through the messy streets of New York trying to ignore the fact that it looked seriously close to raining.  
Macey’s wasn’t far from his apartment but today Nico seriously suspected the universe paid all these people to push him around the streets and get him late for his very first date. A date  
Nico got dizzy.  
Not fucking now, he begged himself.  
He felt numb and shaky, feeling like he’s pressed into a little box and choked in it.  
When the Tartarus mafia had kidnapped Nico as a kid, he was locked inside a very tight, very dark barrel.   
He’d been stuck there for days before he was taken out.  
Nico will never forget those days in that barrel.  
It was pitch black and silent as death.   
Being ADHD and locked in a small space was not a great combination.  
That’s when his panic attacks started to haunt him.  
The air felt like musk and dust and Nico could barely move.  
If he laughed, nothing happened.  
If he screamed, nothing happened.  
If he cried, well, you could guess what happened.  
Nobody had saved him then. He was let go after being slapped around a little for good measure.  
Nico’ll never forget the humiliation. The pain.  
He remembered it every time he was pressed up strangers in traffic.  
The only thing that cured him, even if for a minute, was the picture of Will just a street cross away.  
He was standing under Macey’s roof so the beginning raindrops wouldn’t mess up his perfect hair.  
He was dressed in very light fashionable clothes. His hair looked like it was tended to for hours. He kept checking his clock and glancing around the streets casually.  
He looked up and saw Nico, soaking with water now that the rain started to unleash itself furiously.  
‘Hey’ said Will, a beautiful smile covering his face and exposing his pearl white teeth.  
Nico’s heart had an orgasm.  
‘Hey’ said Nico, removing his hoody and ruffling his hair ‘Fucking rain had to start when I got out walking. I feel like Eyore from Winnie the Pooh’.  
Will chuckled ‘Don’t worry, I’ll chase the clouds away from you’.  
Nico almost squeaked but coughed instead ‘Whatever, let’s just get to the movies and get junk food already’.  
‘Can’t you at least try to eat something healthy?’ sighed Will.  
Nico smirked ‘Well, you don’t exactly find salads in cinemas, now do you?’  
Will shrugged as he removed his own jacket ‘Touche’.  
He put his jacket around Nico and went in front of him to make sure it’s not crooked.  
‘What are you doing?’ asked Nico flustered.  
Will didn’t part his eyes from Nico ‘This is our very first date. It would be highly inconvenient if you got pneoumonia from the rain before we had the second’.  
Will slipped his hands in his pocket ‘You coming?’ he asked Nico with a smile.  
Nico looked at him a little unbelievably. This was happening.  
Nico felt like his heart was dipped in warm milk and honey.  
‘Yeah’ he smiled back ‘I’m coming’.


	6. How to Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is way weaker than I wanted it to be, but eh. I suggest yo listen to "every breath you take" by Robert Downey Jr when you read this trust me. Hope yall like it yaay

Chapter 6: How to love   
When Nico was 10 years old, he’d made a list of things he always wanted to do before he turned 30.   
Kind of weird having a kid make a list as serious as that, but Nico isn’t the commonwealth.  
His list had started off one boring rainy day.  
It had 5 things in them:  
1) Tie shoes by myself  
2) Ride a bike  
3) Get straight A’s  
4) Get all the collection of Mythomagic cards  
5) Build a treehouse for him, Jason, Percy, Frank and Leo

Then Bianca passed and Nico got 2 new ones:  
6) Hate Percy Jackson  
7) Never forget Bianca

And again new ones when he understood he was gay:  
8) Not be gay  
But the one-other than number 4 and 5- that Nico never got to cross out of his list was:  
9) Love someone.  
Nico never knew he’d ever get to do 9.   
But tonight, Nico touched 9.  
He felt 9.  
‘Wonderful’ mused Nico as they had reached the cinema.  
Correction, the closed cinema.  
‘What the actual fuck, man? Who closes the cinema on a work day?’ shouted Nico, blood boiling.  
Will leaned in closer and read a paper taped to the cinema door.  
‘Staff member deceased. Cinema closed. Opened on Friday. Sorry for the inconvenience’.  
The couple fell silent and Nico felt really guilty for his earlier bashing.   
He knew a thing or two about people close to you leaving or dying. He felt like a fucking asshole for being that uptight just cause he missed a fucking cinema.  
Will turned to Nico with a smile ‘Don’t worry about it. We don’t need movies to have fun’.  
Will put his arm around Nico’s waist and looked into his eyes.   
It was like he knew that Nico felt guilty, and he used his adorable irresistible eyes to calm him.  
They did.  
Look at a blue sea for a couple of minutes and you’ll understand.  
Nico woke up and managed to snort at Will’s comment ‘Says the guy who’s the dork of television’.  
Will chuckled and walked across the street with Nico.  
‘Better to make the good out of the bad’ he said casually.  
Nico looked amused ‘Well isn’t that optimistic’.  
‘I prefer the term “sunny human”’.  
Nico laughed ‘So to speak’.  
Will gaped at Nico for about two seconds, absorbing the sound of his laugh.  
‘You should laugh more often’ he told Nico, resisting the urge to tuck Nico’s bang behind his ear.  
Nico snickered ‘I would, but I don’t wanna strain my cheek muscles’.  
Will huffed ‘What? Is there like a rule in your emo dealership that states that you cannot, under any circumstances, show any kind of human emotion?’  
‘Unlike your Ghandi club. Fucking bastards don’t even possess the ability to get angry’ murmured Nico.  
‘You’d be surprised’ said Will. That got Nico thinking.  
He’d totally wanna see Will angry.   
A Grinch smile spread his lips.  
‘Umm Nico? You’re making a face like you enjoy sucking blood. Which is true in your case’ said Will worriedly.  
He started stepping farther and farther jokingly.  
Nico snickered and went after him ‘Get back, here sunshine! Face me like a man!’  
Then Will just stopped and Nico bumped on his chest hard.  
When he came to, he saw Will’s eyes one head above him, gripping Nico’s hands, spreading warmth through them.  
Will smiled ‘Well? You told me to face you like a man. Am I doing a good job?’  
You’re doing a sinfully PERFECT job, thought Nico.  
His cheeks caught fire in giddiness, so of course Nico shrugged Will off and tried to hide his blush under his bangs ‘Whatever, Solace. Let’s just go somewhere dry’.  
Will followed cheekily after Nico, gently tikling his hips and then wrapping his arms behind Nico’s hips and resting his face at the crook of his neck ‘You look cute when you blush, death boy’.  
‘Solace—’  
Will kissed Nico’s cheek ‘I like it’.  
Nico froze right there.  
Will walked a little further on the reoad and turned to Nico ‘I know this awful, shitty, cheap bar that’s right around here. You’ll love it’ he grinned.  
When Nico showed no sign of life, Will just shook his head with a huge grin, walked up to Nico, grabbed his hand and led him.  
***  
‘Welcome, my angel, to Gabe’s!’ yelled Will dramatically as he opened the door to the lowliest karaoke bar ever.  
It smelled of alcohol and weed from the beginning of the door to the end of the karaoke stool.  
There were all kinds of people inside, probably caught in the rain too.  
‘So our very first date winds up being a cheapass karaoke place. Super’ Nico commented dryly.  
Will massaged the back of his neck nervously ‘Yeah, sorry. It’s the first place I could think of close enough from the cinema’.  
Nico pouted as Will took of his coat to hang it ‘Couldn’t we have ended up in a Starbucks? Those things are everywhere!’  
They found a table for two at a measly corner.  
As they sat, Will sniffed ‘I don’t remember it being this…trashy’.  
‘I know, it feels like Ke$ha’s intestines here’ followed Nico.  
They managed to get comfy and spent 5 hours drinking beer, eating suspicious “baked” potatoes and listening to the occasional karaoke stinker.  
‘What are your thoughts on college, sunshine?’ asked Nico, leaning his chin on his resting hand, a tiny bit drunk.  
Will cleared his throat, gulping back a giggle ‘Absolute gas, actually makes me miss my childhood years’.  
‘That bad’ asked Nico rhetorically.  
Will nodded with a sarcastic glee ‘That bad’.  
He stretched then leaned down on the table, face inches away from Nico ‘So tell me. Any family? Crappy childhood? Siblings?’  
To that, Nico felt an emotional cold slap on his face.   
He’d done the most despicable thing on earth. He’d forgotten his deceased sister.  
He was the only one left to remember her, and he forgets her.  
What has he done?  
Nico got up from the table ‘I gotta go’.  
Will looked up confusedly ‘What?’  
It’s happening again. His hands are shaking again. He can’t breathe.  
How was he kidding? How could he have possibly ever thought he could ever find happiness?  
He started walking off to the exit when he felt a hand wrap around his own and tug him closer.  
‘I love this song’ said Will with a sincere smile.  
He let go of Nico’s hand and reached his own ‘Could I take this dance?’  
Nico didn’t have the slightest clue what Will was saying but Will took the blankness as a yes.  
He grabbed Nico’s hand and put his other on Nico’s waist.  
The karaoke guy was singing a song that to this day, Nico di Angelo will never ever forget.  
The singer began  
“Every breath you take and every move you make  
Every bond you break, every step you take, I'll be watching you  
Every single day and every word you say  
Every game you play, every night you stay, I'll be watching you”  
Nico’s heart started to pace. He lean his head in Will’s chest, listening to his heartbeat.   
Nico melted into the slow dance, somehow his limbs trusted the boy before him. He wrapped around Will and felt both their hearts beat.  
He felt Will’s breath and his hand on Nico’s hip and the other caressing Nico’s head. It felt intimate.  
“Oh, can't you see you belong to me  
How my poor heart aches with every step you take  
Every move you make, every vow you break  
Every smile you fake, every claim you stake, I'll be watching you”  
They could have been whistling. They could have been throwing their food at the dancing faggots but Nico didn’t care.  
At that second, that moment, Will was the only thing that kept him alive.  
His arms tightened the hug on Nico, clinging to him, like he would fall or disappear.  
“Since you've gone I've been lost without a trace  
I dream at night, I can only see your face  
I look around but it's you I can't replace  
I feel so cold and I long for your embrace  
I keep crying, "Baby, baby, please"”  
It wasn’t important.   
The pushes, the screams, the pain, the memories, they were air.  
They couldn’t touch him.   
His other half’s hands protected him from the outside.  
“I'll be watching you  
Every breath you take and every move you make  
Every bond you break, every step you take (I'll be watching you)  
Every single day and every word you say  
Every game you play, every night you stay (I'll be watching you)”  
Will cared for him. Right then, right there, Nico was wanted.  
He was needed.  
Every essence of Nico ached miserably at the passion he felt for the one holding him.  
He smelled of honey and cookies. It was his scent. It was who he was.  
His soul pierced Nico’s.  
Nico cherished him for that.   
He cherished him for being his dorky, kind, innocent self.  
His head lifted up to catch Will’s needy content gaze absorb Nico’s skin.  
He leaned in closer and closer to Nico.  
They looked at each other, wonderstruck.  
Their eyes closed and their hearts shouted.  
Thei lips touched.   
It was magic. It was living and dying. It was crying and laughing. It was breathing and shouting.   
It was 9.  
It was love.  
At that time, Nico wasn’t a cloud. He wasn’t a drug addict, he wasn’t a mental, abused kid, he wasn’t a lonely pale gay disgusting shit he was.  
Will made him feel beautiful. He made him feel safe. His arms made him feel protected, and his grip made him feel loved.  
Nico felt content. He didn’t hate himself.  
He was loved by someone. He felt beautiful.  
Nico's despair, even if just for a moment, died.  
Because if someone like Will could love him, how bad could he be?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was it too simple? Like hate? share your thoughts plz :) thanks u <3


	7. Through Infinity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so this got a little sappy but hey Im feeling sappy ok? I just heard Nico's Lullaby Soldatino and I had to put a little Bianca in it mostly cuz i always wanted to know more about her. Asn Piper is totally perfect cuz being the daughter of the Godess of Love here she comes in very handy not just about romantic love. I really feel she's kinda like Nico's big sister that Nico cuddless and splits milkshakes with and Leo and Jason are the little shits who try to ruin the moments. Thank you all for following, commenting and reading <3 you are my Solangelo feels guys <3 thanks :)

Leo’s face made a sour squint as he spit out the worst cereal since Demeter’s factory went under.  
‘Why do you guys have cereal that tastes like clumpy shit? I’ve drank polish oil that tasted better than this’ asked Leo muffed, checking the expiration date on the cereal box.  
Piper rose an eyebrow, chin resting on her palm on the counter ‘You drank polish oil?’  
Leo shrugged ‘Sleep deprivation can make you do pretty fucked up stuff’.  
Jason rolled his eyes, reading a magazine on the couch ‘Nico was supposed to pick up some last night’.  
‘Speaking of whom’ continued Leo ‘Where’d he disappear to last night? Usually he’s in his room listening to some Gothic rock ballad or something. What gives?’  
Jason shrugged while Piper hid her grin behind her coffee mug, giddy to witness the outcome.  
Then the black pray-painted door with the “Fuck off!” sign of the apartment opened revealing Nico di Angelo.  
He was wearing scruffy black (way too big and loose, mind you) sweatpants and a XXS tee with a picture of Joker from Batman Heath Ledger edition with the caption “If you’re good at something, never do it for free”.  
Nico’s hair was messy, like he’d just been in a fight and his eyes looked just as grumpy as they do every morning.  
But the most baffling aspect of the Italian’s appearance was the huge smile stuck on his face as if the end corners of his mouth had been stitched up to his eyes.  
Nico di Angelo, was smiling.  
Leo glanced at Nico, momentarily turned his head away again then swung it right back, gawking at Nico and scratching his eyes sockets with his fists in disbelief.  
Jason looked pretty shook up too ‘Is that a--?’  
‘A SMILE! Nico di fucking Angelo is actually SMILING!’ screamed Leo.  
He limped down and rolled on the floor clutching his eyes and screaming ‘MY EYES! OH, MY EYES! THE SMILE, IT’S TOO BRIGHT GAAAAH!’  
Nico’s smiling face morphed back to it’s daily frown in almost a minute, glaring at Leo.  
Leo sighed and shrugged ‘Well, it was fun while it lasted’.  
‘Do you value your lips, Valdez? If not, I’ll gladly staple them for you’ mused Nico with an icy look.  
‘Been there’ said Jason raising a hand while still reading the magazine ‘Not.Fun’.  
Piper giggled and shook her head.  
When Leo sat on his chair, Nico stood by him expectantly.  
One glance was all Leo needed to get up from his chair and Nico sat on it like it was an unspoken rule not to disobey the Grinch-sleeper.  
But Leo got his revenge as he observed Nico poured himself some cereal and spat it out as soon as he got a spoonful.  
‘Did something DIE in this box?!’ yelled Nico, rattling the box and staring inside of it.  
‘Other than my taste buds’ mused Leo.  
‘Why didn’t you buy any, anyways?’ asked Jason ‘I even hung the grocery list with one of the kitchen magnets’.  
‘Will, I’m gay, not a middle-aged mom. I don’t check the fridge for grocery notes’ said Nico, gargling the cereal aftertaste on the sink.  
That’s when his fatal mistake hit him.  
You could’ve heard a pin drop in the apartment it was so quiet.  
‘Did you just call Jason “Will”?’ asked Leo, cupping his mouth from snorting like a pig then doubled over screaming out guffaws and clutched his stomach in sweet agony.  
Jason, being the awesome friend he is, joined in with Leo almost falling off his couch and chortling like a geek.  
Piper was still sitting casually on her chair, even if her face wasn’t visible from her coffee mug and her shoulders shook like Armageddon.  
Nico wondered how cool and useful would it be if he could open a crack on the ground, jump inside of it and die instantly.  
He’d love it if he could do that.  
But by now he’d turned head to toe pink ‘Oh god, fuck me’.  
‘Silly Nico’ managed Leo between laughs ‘that’s Will’s job’.  
‘That’s it! Why are you here?!’ shrieked Nico and threw a towel at the Latino’s head.  
When Leo finally calmed down a little, he cleared tears from his eyes ‘And miss THIS?!’  
Truth be told, Leo didn’t have a place to stay. Unless you could call the Homeless Shelter a place to stay.  
So he’d been crashing on Nico and Jason’s couch since the beginning of College.  
Jason also gave an effort to pull himself together, though his grin couldn’t be removed if you peeled it off his face ‘Seriously though, Neeks, did something happen between you and Will?’  
‘Why would you ask something like that?’ asked Nico, eyeing Piper.  
Jason tilted his head, not amused ‘That’s the first time I’ve seen you smile in broad daylight. Either something happened with Will or your dad had a heart attack’.  
Nico grinned ‘That really would’ve been a great morning’.  
‘C’mon, Neeks, tell us what happened with you and Will. It’s not like you can get any more embarrased’ pointed Leo.  
It was true.  
Nico sighed ‘Swear you guys won’t make a big deal out of this, and I’ll consider it’.  
Jason and Leo grinned and shouted in unision ‘We swear!’  
Nico nodded in satisfaction ‘Very good. I’ll consider it now’.  
Nico went inside his room laughing evily with a cup of black, black coffee, ignoring the protesting voices of Jason and Leo behind him.  
He lay down on his bed, for the first time in years, not feeling bitter.  
He stared at the ceiling and touched his lips, replaying the night he had with Will.  
He wanted to giggle like a Japanese schoolgirl and gush about Will in his thoughts all day.  
A knock on his door woke him from daydreaming.  
‘If you have a penis and a big mouth, stay out!’ yelled Nico.  
‘Is one out of two acceptable?’ joked Piper, poking her head in.  
Nico faked considering it ‘I suppose’.  
Piper laughed and closed the door behind her.  
She sat next to Nico on his bad as Nico sat up, the grin still stitched on him.  
‘Look at you’ said Piper giddily.  
‘What?’ asked Nico.  
‘You look like you should have little cartoon birds and squirrels following you. What happened last night? I wasn’t to know EVERYTHING’.  
Nico snorted ‘And I’d tell you because…?’  
‘Because I got some dirt on you and Jason and Leo are willing to take whatever they can get’ Piper grinned mischievously.  
‘So the cinema was closed’ began Nico. He couldn’t afford to have those two boneheads ruin his mood. Not today.  
‘We ditched the whole romantic date idea and just went to the worst pub in New York’.  
Piper’s eyes gleamed full of excitement. It was getting good.  
‘We ate the worst food and drank for like 5 hours straight and then--’  
It hit Nico why he made way to leave. Bianca.  
How could he? He was so drunk in the euphoria of his very first kiss that he had totally forgot about Bianca.  
It was back. All the pain, all the guilt. All the memories Will had seemed to have sweeped under a rug.  
They came back to blame Nico for betraying his sister, his dead sister, for a mere guy.  
‘And then?’ asked Piper.  
Nico touched his lips guiltily again.  
Those were the lips Will’s lips kissed. It had brought back hope to Nico.  
And it was Nico once again who drowned out his hopes.  
Piper stared at him, waiting for an answer never to come.  
‘Did you guys kiss?’ Piper asked.  
Nico looked at her ‘We…I…Piper, can I ask you something?’  
Piper nudged in closer ‘Of course, sweetie. Anything’.  
She held Nico’s hand in hers.  
‘I… I danced with Will and I felt happy. More than I’ve ever been since…’  
Piper knew what hung in his tongue. Bianca’s death.  
Nico continued ‘And last night, I had my very first kiss. I allowed myself to go on with my life. I danced the dance she never got to dance. I felt the joy she never got to feel and I shared the kiss she never got to share. It’s like I’m mocking her! Using my life to set examples of what she won’t ever get to experience! She’ll never get to love or to laugh or feel loved! Who THE FUCK am I to get the luxury to live?! I lie, I fight, I cut myself, I do drugs and I treat my friends like shit and I get more seconds of life than she ever did! Why? Why did she never get a shot at life?! Where do I have the right to be happy and move on with myself if she doesn’t?! HUH?!’  
Piper just gaped at Nico as he breathed hard and tried to stop shaking.  
Nico felt like the weakest person alive.  
How many times does this make? 3 times in a row this week?  
He wished he could stop having attacks every time he got emotional.  
They were weak. Nico isn’t weak. He’s strong. Bianca told him that herself when they sat in front of Maria di Angelo’s grave sobbing.  
Nico is made of strong stuff. He couldn’t afford to break down.  
Not now.  
He swallowed down the tears and extra breath the attacks brought. He forced his body not to shake and focused on a dot in his vision so he could focus.  
By that time Piper had just smiled which dazed Nico unconditionally.  
She grabbed his chin and kissed his forehead.  
‘You get to live Nico, because you’re meant to live the life she never got. Bianca loved you like you were her own child. I think you know that. It’s not fair that she died. I agree that it sucks that we get to live and she didn’t, but for the sake of her love, and for the sake of ours, don’t you think she’d feel better if you lived a full life and make her happy?’  
‘And mark her off as a lost memory?’ asked Nico, a little calmer than before.  
‘Not necessarily. There are ways to remember those you love without having to put a stop on your own life’.  
‘Like?’  
Piper thought about it, then she climbed in bed next to Nico ‘She loved green right? We could wear green on her birthday’.  
‘And make lasagne for dinner’.  
‘And watch Monsters Inc. She loved that’.  
‘She used to say you looked just like the little girl Boo’ laughed Piper.  
‘Did not’ huffed Nico.  
‘She also drank banana milkshakes on every bar we went’.  
‘She smelled like lilies most of the time too’.  
Piper giggled and put an arm around Nico ‘See? Nico, I love you so much and you deserve a chance at life just as much as all of us, if not more’.  
Nico looked down.  
Piper continued ‘If you keep thinking that Bianca will be forgotten if you’re not there to swim in her despair then she really will become just a shadow. Live for her, Neeks. But live for yourself too’.  
Nico let all this sink in. The feeling of guilt will never disappear.  
It’s there to keep Bianca from fading. But it did feel a little smaller.  
Just a little.  
‘Piper’ Nico said.  
‘Yep?’ turned Piper.  
‘Bianca would’ve loved you’ he said shyly.  
Piper winked ‘Who wouldn’t?’  
She pushed Nico a little ‘You kissed Will? That’s really adorable’.  
Nico looked at the walls again ‘It was really… nice’.  
Piper could practically hear the blood rushing in on Nico’s cheeks ‘How’d you guys seal the deal?’  
Nico shrugged ‘He kissed my cheek and went on his merry way’.  
‘No “call you later” or something?’ asked the Cherokee beauty.  
Nico shook his head.  
‘Hmmm’ began Piper and a knock on the door stopped her train of thought.  
Leo poked in his head ‘Sorry to interrupt, but we got Ken at the door asking Barbie out to the prom’ he grinned.  
Nico got up rolling his eyes and managed a punch in Nico’s ribs before walking out the door.  
Leo fell down like a lamp. ‘Totally worth it’ he wheezed.  
‘Uh-huh’ said Piper, hand on hip, eyebrow cocked and an unconvinced expression.  
Nico walked to the door and Jason was suspiciously out of eyesight.  
And surely enough, there was Will waiting, one hand behind his neck scratching and the other behind his back.  
When he saw Nico, he blushed shamelessly and looked around to avoid eye contact.  
Nico was so enjoying the shyness Will offered.  
‘You called?’ asked Nico.  
Will cleared his throat ‘Umm yeah, sorta. Look, I just wanted to apologize for taking you out on the rain and sending you to a shitty bar and being annoying and making you dance with me and for umm… kissing’  
Nico’s ears would’ve stopped cars on the street because oh were they red.  
‘What are you talking about you big dope? I really liked it. You better show a time like that next time’.  
They both blushed and had a contest of who’d break down first and ask the other out for the 2nd date.  
‘KISSED?!’ asked Jason ‘LEO!’  
‘On it’ replied Leo dialling a phone number ‘Hello Perce? Yeah, Jason owes you what like 40 bucks? Nico kissed Will’.  
Nico sighed. He can’t wait for classes today when anyone gutsy enough (which was yeah you guessed right: everyone) would congratulate Nico on landing a sugar-daddy.  
Will pointed to the hall ‘Outside?’  
Nico nodded and waved smugly goodbye to his roommates as they tried to reach and keep the door open.  
When Will and Nico felt clear of all ears, Will went on ‘I had a great time and well...’ from his back he showed a rose that looked like it was dipped in tar.  
‘Figured an emo plant would suit you’ smiled Will and to his surprise, Nico laughed this time.  
‘Thanks’ admitted Nico ‘I…never got a first date gift before’.  
‘Well get used to it!’ said Will a little more confidently than he looked ‘I came to ask a serious question’.  
Will bent on one knee and showed the Buzz Lightyear figurine Nico had forgotten at McDonalds.  
‘Nico di Angelo’ Will began ‘will you be my boyfriend? Through infinity?’  
Nico blinked a few times and felt giddy again. Is this what having someone to love felt like?  
This was the most adorable thing someone had ever done for Nico.  
It made tiny jellybeans pop around his charcoal heart.  
Nico smiled and nodded ‘And beyond’.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh and PS. Nico calling Jason Will was my mistake at first then I thought it was a nice idea to blend it in so that Leo could be an ass who I love. Thanks again <3 youre all cute gay muffins with strawberry filling and cinnamon dust :3 and I'm fat lol thanks <3


	8. IN his life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Where do I start? I am rlly sorry for being so late guys. I;ve been having some problems and a little depression bcz of some issues. I'm better. I couldn't wait to get back and post a new fluffy chapter that is going to lead to serious stuff in te future chapters. Thanks for being so patient and tolerant I know my story has been a little dramatic and weak but its cuz Ive been feeling like that. Be prepared for me picking up pace again. Ill make you guys proud. Solangelo is a way of life <3 Thanks for reading u guys are awesome <3

The next few months were a blur. Time spent with Will felt like time that slipped by too quickly and left a fuzzy image you can’t really remember. But it wasn’t a bad feeling. It was nice.  
Every day seemed to make Nico smile wider and wider and that terrified him. It terrified him that maybe one of these days, he’ll do something that will end these smiles. These moments.  
But as always, Will effing Solace doesn’t give him space to even worry with all the positive energy he tries to impale Nico with.  
It makes Nico vomit but watching Will try was like winning money without having to do anything. Easy and enjoyable.  
He started listening to corny love songs like “Thinking out loud” and “Every Breath you take” a lot. He listened to them millions of times before but never really got them.  
When he listened to “Every Breath you take” he almost cried every time because he never had anyone in his life to dedicate that song to.  
Now, it felt wonderful.  
It was their theme song now, the song they first danced and comitted theirselves to. It was the only thing other than Will, that genuinely blissed Nico.  
He even allowed Will to show him love movies that are sad but beautiful. Will was like literally the biggest teddy bear alive.   
Nico had a growing suspicion that Will doesn’t even possess the ability to be a cold person.  
He never got mad or angry at Nico. Well, except when he broke health rules Will out up for him but that’s a transparent given.  
Will was always patient and gentle with Nico about everything.   
It made Nico’s hollow tin shell melt with warmth.  
Curious and itchy with anticipation, Nico’s friends begged for them all to have a meeting with Will so ehty can threaten *cough* greet him into the “Argo II” family as they call each other since they had the stupid idea to purchase a ship and name it after Jason’s namesake, Jason.  
Nico turned them down with a death defining glare ‘till he made the stupid mistake of mentioning it to Will.  
It was a Friday noon and Will and Nico decided to bitch about their stress in classes at Starbucks.  
Will hated coffee so he had ordered a Kiwi smoothie which made Nico gag but Will protested that it was healthy.  
Nico on the other hand had the working taste buds of a college kid, meaning he would take whatever he could get cheap.   
He had a Central Perk large cup of black coffee with no sugar.  
‘You know what a Turkish proverb says?’ asked Will.  
‘Hmmmm’ Nico prtended to think with a pinkie on his chin ‘Oh wait. I don’t care’.  
Will rolled his eyes ‘Well, Captain Grinch, the Turkish proverb says that Coffee should be black as hell, strong as death and as sweet as love’.  
‘And as corny as cornflakes’ replied Nico, sipping his coffee.  
‘Cornflakes don’t even have corn’ pointed out Will.  
‘Shut up, Solace!’ pouted Nico.  
Will cocked up an eyebrow and grinned ‘Make me’.  
Will leaned in close to dare Nico to kiss him in public, which Nico finds positively embarrassing.  
Nico tried to close in on Nico’s lips then quickly withdrew with a Starbucks couch pillow pressed on his flustered face.  
‘Fuck you, Solace!’ he moaned.  
Will laughed ‘Could you be more adorable?’  
‘Are you doing this on purpose?’ growled Nico.  
Will smirked ‘That’s my line, Death Boy’.  
‘Don’t call me Death Boy, Sunshine’.  
‘Only if you always call me Sunshine’.  
Nico hesitated for a few seconds then obliged ‘D-deal’.  
Will smiled and kissed the top of Nico’s head ‘Deal’.  
Will put his arm around Nico’s shoulder and relaxed while dragging his smoothie through a funny straw.  
Nico managed to get unusually comfortable on Will’s arm and sunk into his warm body temperature.  
‘Are you for real?’ asked Nico in a sleepy voice, eyes half-open.  
Will chortled ‘You make it sound like you’re the lucky one to be with me’.  
Nico looked up.  
‘What?’ asked Will.  
Nico gaped ‘Ummm Will, have you SEEN you? Have you FELT you?’  
‘Well I do have a mirror’ Will mused ‘And as for feeling myself, isn’t that what all boys do after they get into puberty?’  
Nico punched his bicep laughing ‘You know what I mean, you giant carebear’.  
‘Oh my fucking god’ gasped Will ‘Screw Sunshine. I want you to always refer to me as carebear. My life will be complete’.  
Nico smiled ‘Idiot. I mean come on, even my friends have been bugging me to introduce you to them’.  
Will’s eyes gleamed ‘The Argo II gang?’  
Nico nodded ‘But I told them hell no’.  
Will pouted ‘Why? Do they… not know about you being… special?’  
Nico almost gagged mid-laugh ‘What the actual fuck, Will. Yes, they know I’m special. They know I’m gay too’.  
‘Then why don’t you introduce me to them?’ asked Will.  
Nico made a face like “Are you kidding??” then said ‘They’re weird, Will. They get all sappy and mushy. I don’t want them to freak you away’.  
‘I’M sappy and mushy. I’m like the definition of sappy and mushy. And besides,’ Will leaned his nose on Nico’s nose, snuggling his face in the younger boy’s cheek ‘nothing on the face of this earth, not even a free medical diploma will make me freak away from you’.  
‘You sure about that?’ asked Nico.  
Will settled his smoothie on the table and wrapped both arms around Nico’s waist. His face was half an inch away from Nico’s with a very serious but kind look in them ‘If you ask me that ever again I swear by the father of medicine, Asclepius, that I’ll bite you mercilessly’.  
Nico forgot human speech for a second.   
He just stared into Will’s eyes.  
They were so fucking blue, it was insane.  
They were like magnets, they pulled you in and they were melancholic.  
Will’s eyes sometimes made Nico want to cry. They were just so sad and happy at once.  
Unconsciously Nico sneaked a kiss on them when Will blinked.  
That surprised Will ‘Neeks?’  
Nico went period red ‘Shit, sorry. I didn’t mean to do that it just sorta came out’.  
Will gaped then laughed, showing off that adorable gap between the front teeth. Will’s crooked teeth were so goofily perfect.  
‘You don’t need to apologize to me every time you feel like sneaking a kiss’ said Will and pecked Nico’s lips ‘See?’  
Nico just covered his face with his palms while Will grabbed and hugged Nico’s head.  
‘You’re like THE cutest puppy I’ve ever meet, hons’ laughed Will.  
‘I hate you’ announced Nico.  
‘I adore you’ replied Will.  
‘ANYWAY,’ said Nico, trying to put the matter behind ‘you sure you’re okay with meeting my friends? Like tomorrow? They’ll probably make you uncomfortable as fuck though’.  
Will smiled ‘I’d be honoured’.  
Nico sighed and took out his black Samsung S3 writing a text and tagging the whole gang.  
The text said:

Hey Losers (Except for Hazel and Reyna, you’re not losers),

Will has agreed to meet up with you guys tomorrow.  
Better be there.  
PS: If you make Will uncomfortable or embarrass me in any way, I will massacre you (again except for Hazel and Reyna)

Nico.

Nico sighed again ‘The deal with the devil is done’.  
Will snuggled Nico closer in his chest ‘Eh, it’ll be great’.  
Nico heard Will’s hearbeat and smiled.

When they walked out of Starbucks, Will was digging into his bag for his apartment keys.  
‘Aw, shoot’ he frowned.  
‘What’s the matter?’ asked Nico.  
Will pouted ‘I seem to have lost my keys. Great. Just great. Cecil and Lou have the spare and they’re probably doing it like bunnies in the living room’.  
‘They seem athletic’ snorted Nico.  
‘They haven’t seen each other in months. Lou Ellen goes to London College’.  
‘Oh. Well if you want to…umm… you know’ mumbled Nico, scribbling shapes in the water puddle with his boot and looking down.  
Will grinned and narrowed his eyes ‘Yes?’  
‘...Wanna stay at my place tonight?’ asked Nico flustered.  
Will flashed a now toothy grin ‘I guess letting Lou and Cecil one night to themselves wouldn’t hurt’.  
***  
Nico was trying hard to not have a cardiac seizure when he saw Will casually strip down to his boxers.  
Regrettably, Will put on PJ shorts that showed of his blonde hairy and tan legs and a sleeveless T-shirt that showed of his semi-muscular biceps and triceps.  
Nico grabbed a napkin and held it across his chin to make sure he cleans off the drool he is positive is rising.  
‘You sure Jason won’t mind me borrowing these?’ asked Will sitting on the couch with Nico.  
‘Nah, he never wears them. Piper says they’re not Jason’s style’ shrugs Nico.  
‘Huh’ said Will ‘Do they suit me?’  
YES! Screamed Nico’s mind.  
‘Uh, yeah sure’ said real gutless Nico.  
Will smiled and dug inside his bag ‘Well, you’re in luck, Death Boy, cause I still have a DVD I rented a few days ago with me. Got any snacks?’  
Nico got up to the kitchen ‘I am warning you Will, I am NOT watching another chick flick. I’ve had more than enough for the whole month’.  
‘It’s not a corny love story’ answered Will, inserting the DVD in the player.  
Nico plopped on the coffee table a bag of barbeque chips which he knew Will secretly and sinfully loved and two cans of beer.  
‘Does the main story involve a forbidden couple?’ asked Nico.  
‘Well…’ Will tried to find the right words.  
‘Does it have a sad ending where one of them dies?’ continued Nico.  
Will pouted like he usually did with those puffy pink lips that threaten to undo Nico ‘It’s not a corny love story. It’s kinda like Moulin Rouge’.  
‘Don’t EVER insult Moulin Rouge’ wanred Nico ‘That is the one exception in romantic film history’.  
Will giggled as he sat cuddling Nico ‘Now we’re gonna watch the 2nd exception’.  
Nico rolled his eyes ‘What’s the name of the movie?’  
‘The Great Gatsby’ said Will, a sincere smile spreading across his face.  
Will showed every human emotion possible throughout the whole movie while Nico tried not to but couldn’t help but do the same.  
When the sun went down, and the movie was over and the beer cans were empty, Will turned to Nico ‘So?’  
Nico was looking to the opposite side ‘…T’was ok’.  
Will could feel Nico’s body shake weakly and hiccup.  
‘Neeks’ Will tried to turn Nico around, but he just seemed to squirm further opposite.  
Will hugs Nico’s back and stuffs his head at the crook of Nico’s neck ‘Are you CRYING?’  
Nico sniffled ‘No’.  
‘Oh my god, you’re crying’ announced Will, totally shocked and somehow pleased.  
‘No I’m not’ replied Nico in a shaky voice ‘You’re crying’.  
Will spooned Nico mercilessly cooing ‘Cutie, it’s okay to cry’.  
Nico gave up an turned around, his chocolate brown eyes glassy shiny and slightly pink ‘It just wasn’t fair! He gave up everything for the one he loved and he got a bullet as a reward like “Aww you’re a nice guy? Here, have a nice death”’.  
Will laughed and stroked Nico’s head softly ‘I know. This story has been my favourite for a very long time and it still stings every time. Sorry to have made you cry’.  
Nico scowled ‘Why would a story as cruel as this be your favourite?’  
‘Because’ said Will ‘It shows how you’re willing to do anything and shoulder everything if it means sparing the person you love unconditionally’.  
Nico processed that and let Will cradle him ‘If you were at Gatsby’s place, would you ever regret making the choice of shouldering the blame?’  
Will smiled and hugged Nico tightly ‘Never, ever. In fact, I’d do it again if need be’.  
Nico growled ‘I feel like punching Daisy. Here she has the guy who is willing to do anything for her and loves her more than life and she lets the opportunity waste away and ruined the guy’s life’.  
Then Nico realized something. He was Daisy.  
Will giggled ‘Aww come on, don’t be so hard on Daisy. Love is never easy. Especially when your heart is taken by two men’.  
Nico eyed the picture frame next to the TV with all his friends.  
He saw Percy’s smiling face and shuddered ‘Uh-huh’ Nico nodded.  
He had told Percy long ago about his feelings and indeed those feelings had washed away.   
But being alone always rose an “if”.  
When he met Will and didn’t know if there’s going to be anything serious, he experienced crushing on two guys at the same time.  
But now with Will IN his life, he didn’t need any “if”’s.  
He was just sad Daisy didn’t get a chance to delete her own “if”.  
Will grinned then began to yawn ‘Whooh. I’m beat. Big day tomorrow, meeting the Argo II and all. Do you by any chance have a spare toothbrush?’  
Nico smiled ‘No, but you can use mine, it’s the black one’.  
Will chuckled ‘Clearly’.  
He walked up to the bathroom and Nico smiled at the fact that Will was using his toothbrush.  
‘Aren’t you gonna brush them?’ asked Will, scrubbing his teeth vigorously.  
‘No thanks. I’m normal’ said Nico.  
Will spit out and sighed ‘Do I have to do EVERYTHING?’  
He wiped off his mouth with the towel draped on the bathroom door and came back to the living room.  
He dragged Nico to the bathroom with Nico protesting ‘Nobody brushes their teeth at night’.  
‘That’s you unhygienic side luring you to the dark side’ cautioned Will, squirting some paste on the toothbrush ‘Say “A”’.  
Nico clenched his jaw shut tight and shook his head with a ‘m-m’ sound.  
Will sighed and kissed Nico, tongue banging on his lips for entrance.  
The second Nico opened his mouth, expecting a tongue, Will shoved the toothbrush in Nico’s gums and started brushing them fast.  
‘Thash noh fair! You cheather!’ mumbled Nico incoherently.  
‘Yeah, yeah. You can thank me later when your teeth stop having their daily cavity pains’.  
When Will got comfortable on the sofa, Nico looked at him strangely ‘Umm, what the fuck are you doing?’  
Will blinked ‘Uh, I thought I was sleeping, but your tone suggests otherwise’.  
Nico stamped his feet towards Will without looking him in the eye, grabbed his hand and pulled him to his bedroom.  
‘No way I’m letting you sleep on that sorry excuse for a couch. Besides, Piper and Jason are probably gonna come in about an hour and have sex on it’.  
Will blushes a little then climbs in Nico’s bed.  
Nico tried to change into his pyjamas ultra-fast so that Will doesn’t see his bony pale zombie of a body and climbed in next to Will.  
At first it felt awkward, especially for Will.  
It was the first time Nico felt Will tense so he kissed Will’s cheek and turned his back on him pulling up the covers ‘G’night’.  
Nico was totally blushing for doing that so to ease him up like Nico did for him, Will crawled closed and spooned with Nico, holding the young Italians body softly and lovingly ‘Good night, hon’.  
Will fell asleep instantly and Nico could feel his hot minty breath on his neck.  
Nico’s tummy could just about make out the lines of Will’s muscles that had wrapped around it.  
Will’s breathing was a very cute sound. Nico could listen to it forever.  
He snuck an arm out of the covers and dug it into the bag next to the bed.  
He pulled out a bunch of keys he’d taken from Will at Starbucks.  
He wasn’t proud of it, but it was the only way he could work up the guts to invite him for the night.  
He stuffed the keys back inside and tried to sleep, praying Jason and Piper wouldn’t be too loud and end up giving both Nico and Will boners.  
He closed his eyes and smiled as he felt Will’s grip tighten and his nose hit Nico’s neck.  
It was the best sleep Nico ever had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If u like things so far please leave kudos and Comments are like SUPER SUPER SUPER appreciated cuz I can know what you like more and what you dont and Ill try to answer it all cuz I DO read all of them. Thanks for the support youre all lovely little muffins. <3 stay safe out there Solangelo shippers :D <3


	9. Almost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so I think this is the best chapter I've written so far and the original power I had in mind for Nico and Will's first dance but oh well. I hope you like this guys. Thanks for reading youre awesome <3

Chapter 9: Almost  
Of course Nico wasn’t nervous about today.  
Of course he was glad to let go of Will to get out of bed.  
Of course he didn’t have a morning hard-on when Will accidentally touched his nipple when he untangled his hands from Nico.  
Of course.  
Will was putting on a black t-shirt with a skull on it which he borrowed from Nico since he refused to introduce himself to the Argo II with his yesterday clothes.  
‘Wakey wakey, sleeping beauty! It’s a gorgeous day today!’ said Will cheerfully opening the blinds next to Nico’s bed.  
The minute light touched Nico’s skin, he cowered under his blanket screeching ‘EVIL!’  
Will couldn’t help but laugh ‘Oh COME ON. It’s just the sun’.  
‘I know, that’s why I said EVIL!’  
Will rolled his eyes and when he turned his head, he could just about see Nico’s tent rise a little bumpier at the part of his torso.  
Will blushed and coughed on his fist ‘Well, I’m gonna go ummm brush my teeth’.  
‘Ok’ was all that Nico’s voice under the sheets said.  
When Will walked out the room Nico sighed calmly and stared at his erection.  
‘You just couldn’t stay down, could you?’ growled Nico at his penis.   
His penis, shockingly, did not reply.  
He stayed in his bed and tried to think about something that would make his penis sit back down.  
He thought of kissing Persephone. He almost puked.  
He looked down and his erection had calmed down.  
‘Well that seemed to do the trick. I should do that more often’ he stood there for a few seconds thinking what the fuck is wrong with him and got out of bed, shielding his face from the sun as he walked out the room.  
In the kitchen section of the living room, Jason was sitting on his pyjamas and Piper was wearing nothing but Jason’s shirt, sharing a mug of coffee with her boyfriend while Will seemed busy in the kitchen.  
Something smelled delicious.  
Jason turned around and grinned when seeing Nico, his lips brown with nutella.  
‘Hiya, Neeks’ he mused ‘Your amazing boyfriend just made fricking pancakes with nutella. Did you know he can cook?’  
Will couldn’t be seen in front, but his ears turned pink ‘It really isn’t all that impressive, guys’.  
Nico sat beside Jason snorting ‘I’ll say. Will knows how to do every effing thing’.  
Piper grinned ‘I’m telling you, Neeks, a boyfriend who can cook is a boyfriend worth keeping around’.  
‘But I can’t cook’ realised Jason.  
Piper stroked his cheek ‘Let’s hope for the best sweetie’.  
Both Will and Nico laughed at that.  
‘Oh yeah?’ growled Jason as he grabbed Piper plopping her on the couch and tickling her shamelessly and Piper squealed in laughter flailing her legs around like a kid.  
Nico took a sip of their sugary excuse of a coffee and wiped his lips clean ‘Shit, Grace. Are you drinking coffee or Kool-Aid? Blegh. Oh and Pipes, Will is bi, not gay and you’re wriggling an Aphrodite daughter’s body right behind him’.  
‘Of course he’s bi’ she voiced, sprinting to Jason’s room for pants.  
Jason wisely followed after her.  
Will just chuckled and put a plate of pancakes in front of Nico.  
‘Best in New York. Eat up’ he winked.  
Nico grabbed Jason’s fork ‘Why didn’t you tell me you can cook? I would’ve kept you here forever’.  
‘Leo said the exact same thing’ said Will.  
‘Which reminds me, where IS Leo?’  
A whoop was heard from the toilet followed by ‘REMOTE CONTROLED TOILET I’M A FUCKING GENIUS!’  
Will guffawed while Nico rolled his eyes ‘Never mind’.  
The bathroom door opened, smoke engulfing the doorway and Leo stumbled out, clothes and skin covered in soot but a big smile on his face ‘You’re welcome di Angelo’.  
‘Yes’ said Nico ‘Thank you for violating my toilet and poisoning my bathroom’.  
‘They’ll thank me one day’ said Leo and dropped headfirst on the couch.  
‘Where the fuck were you yesterday anyway?’ asked Nico, having a fork fight with Will hogging the pancakes.  
‘Oh nowhere’ mused Leo ‘Just Calypso’s place’.  
‘Calypso’s? She finally admit she likes you?’ asked Piper, coming out of Jason’s room now fully clothed.  
‘Admit?! Guys I spent the night at HER place! Granted we didn’t do it, but I actually stayed over!’ cried Leo as if to himself.  
‘Not unlike the lovebirds in the kitchen’ cooed Jason.  
‘Which reminds me’ said Leo a finger holding silence then his palms connected in pray formation ‘I kinda invited Calypso to our “getting-to-know-Will” party thing. Is that ok?’  
‘I’ll tell you what’ said Nico ‘She can come, and you don’t have to’.  
Everyone except for Leo erupted in giggles and Will kissed Nico’s cheek.  
‘Oh ha-ha’ mocked Leo ‘Really man. I’m nuts for this girl, pleaseeee?’  
Nico took another bite of the best pancakes hed ever tasted ‘It’s up to Will, it’s his party or whatever’.  
Leo turned to Will with the biggest puppy eyes and a shaking bottom lip.  
Will shrugged ‘I don’t see why not, invite whoever you want, buddy’.  
Leo squealed and danced around with new-found energy.  
‘OH GOD YES! FUCK YEAH! I HAVE THE BEST FRIENDS EVER!’ he shouted.  
Nico covered his ears with an annoyed expression ‘You’re gonna have the deafest friends if you don’t stop, Valdez’.  
Leo clapped his hands ‘I better shower. Calypso doesn’t mind getting her hands dirty, but just in case’ he scurried to the bathroom.  
‘Doesn’t mind getting her hands dirty? Calypso better not be a serial killer is all I’m saying’ mused Will.  
‘Oh please’ said Nico ‘anyone able to handle Leo is a saint is all I’M saying’.  
Will giggle and kissed Nico ‘Sly, di Angelo, real sly’.  
‘Learned from the best’ winked Nico.  
When Will turned his back to check on his IPhone 4, Nico caught a glance of Piper and Jason with Piper blowing air kisses at them and Jason pushing his hair back sexily with his eyebrows wriggling.  
They’re going to be the death of me, realized Nico.  
‘Hello, Cecil?’ asked Will on his phone ‘You at the apartment? I kinda lost my keys and I could really use a spare’.  
Muffled sounds came from the phone.  
Will laughed ‘Lou, you can cuddle your boyfriend later, he has some serious business right now’.  
Nico watched as Will talked to his roommate and his girlfriend on the phone, throwing out occasional laughs.  
Will’s laugh was by far the goofiest yet most endearing sound Nico ever heard.  
He smiled and just stared at Will being his cute mushy self.  
‘All right, I’ll meet you downstairs, man. Yeah I love you too Lou Ellen, just let your boyfriend go!’ Will laughed one last time and clicked off the phone.  
He turned to Nico ‘My roommates right across the street walking with his girlfriend. I’m going to get the spare key. Wanna meet them?’  
Nico took this by surprise.  
I mean come on, it’s not every day you get asked whether you’re in the mood to meet somebody else’s friend circle.   
Except if your roommate is Jason of course.  
Nico hadn’t realized that he’d just stood there speechless which earned a very apologetic look from Will ‘If you don’t want to its fine I--’  
‘-I’d love to’ said Nico.  
Will smiled and offered his arm ‘Well, shall we?’  
Nico turned to look at Piper and Jason who were cuddling on the sofa but waved their arms shooing Nico off to socialize.  
Socialize, Nico mentally snorted.

As they walked down the hall Nico spoke through the corner of his mouth to Will ‘So is there something in particular I should know about these people?’  
Will thought about it ‘Not much. Long story short: Cecil’s Chris’s cousin and has been waiting forever to see Lou Ellen again. Lou Ellen is into the “dark arts” and all that shit cause her mom used to read Harry Potter to her like every night. I seriously suspect she went to London just to find the wherebouts of the “Leaky Cualdron”’.  
Nico laughed and Will was surprised.  
‘You don’t seem freaked by the idea’ noted Will.  
Nico smiled ‘Trust me, your friends don’t have half a weird back story like my friends. You’ll see tonight’.  
Will almost looked like he was blushing and looked down with a little grin to his face ‘You think they’ll like me?’  
Nico entangled his fingers with Will’s ‘They already do, idiot. They LOVE you’.  
‘Really?’ asked Will with a light in his eyes.  
Nico couldn’t help but laugh.  
He bumped noses with Will ‘Really’.  
‘Awwwww, I knew you guys were cute, I didn’t know you were THAT cute!’ said a guy with brown hair and a mischievous smile, his arm draped across a strawberry blonde girl’s shoulders.  
Will threw his arms up and Will and Cecil bear-hugged like they hadn’t seen each other in months.  
Nico stared daggers while Cecil laughed ‘Relax, man. I’m straight as a pencil…well… as straight as pencils come’.  
Nico didn’t get the joke, but Lou Ellen jabbed an elbow in Cecil’s stomach and laughed ‘Yeah right’.  
Cecil reminded Nico a lot of Leo and Jason if they’d fuse together in one person.  
The ideal big brother with corny jokes.  
Will and Cecil didn’t look a thing alike, but Nico could tell they were like brothers.  
‘Guys, guys. I would like to present to you the cutest and awesomest boyfriend ever, Nico di Angelo’ said Will, doing jazz hands for effect.  
Nico rolled his eyes at how his boyfriend could be such a dork and reached a hand to Cecil and Lou Ellen.  
Instead of obliging, they both grinned and patted Nico on the back or ruffled his hair.  
‘Will told us SO much about you!’ exclaimed Lou Ellen.  
‘Yeah’ followed Cecil ‘He won’t shut up about you, man’.  
Then Cecil started in, what he probably thought was the best imitation of Will, mimicking ‘“Nico’s so funny and smart” and “Nico’s so cool and awesome” or “Nico’s so cute, I wanna wrap my arms around him and be his jacket for winter”’.  
‘I do not say that, shut UP’ shouted Will, his face red and a little crooked smile to his face while he hid it with his palm from Nico.  
‘You don’t say?’ grinned Nico devilishly looking at Will.  
‘You and medicine are all Will thinks about!’ said Lou Ellen, hopping perkily.  
Nico liked that arrangement of words.  
You AND medicine. For the first time, Nico wasn’t at the end of an “and”.  
He was in front of it.  
‘Oh and don’t forget his face after his first date when--’.  
Will hit the back of Cecil’s head embarrassed ‘Just the keys will do, Cecil’.  
Cecil handed Will a key while he rubbed the back of his head. Will was stronger than he looked.  
‘Sheesh, you think I’d spoiled the big surprise—OWW’.  
Lou Ellen kept a wide smile on her face while her foot seemed to be stomping on top of Cecil’s.  
Nico looked dumbfounded.  
Big surprise? What?  
‘We should better be going’ she smiled at Nico ‘Don’t want to keep you cuties too busy’.  
Nico didn’t know why, but he apparently just blurted out ‘If you want to, you can stay over’.  
‘Won’t we disturb you two lovebirds?’ asked Cecil.  
‘We’re having this “get-to-know-Will” party thing tonight. You guys could come’.  
Cecil grinned ‘Get to know Will? I’d LOVE to get to know Will again. What do you say Lou?’  
Lou laughed ‘Why not?’  
‘That’s my girl’ cooed Cecil and kissed Lou Ellen’s flushed cheek.  
‘Oh, great’ mused Will unhappily ‘more of Cecil’s embarrassing me. Yipee’.  
Cecil flashed that devil grin again ‘Oh, trust me buddy. After tonight, you won’t show up in classes for months’.  
‘Is that a promise?’ asked Nico interested.  
Lou Ellen and Cecil laughed.  
***

By 6 p.m., the apartment looked like a book convention, packed with people.  
Since Will was the main event, he was the one cooking.  
Everyone basically sat down on couches, kitchen chairs and on pillows lain on the ground.  
Everyone except Leo.  
After 1 decade of not seeing a brush, Leo had showered, shaved and combed his hair backwards and wore his finest clothes.   
‘Dude, you look like you’re from a Spanish soap opera. I feel morally obligated to call you Fabricio’ said Percy, trying to ruffle Leo’s hair so it didn’t look that groomed and oily.  
Leo kept swatting Percy’s hand away ‘Cut it out Percy. I’m doing it for Calypso. I HAVE to like nice. This is the girl of my dreams’.  
‘You’ve only been dating her since yesterday’ noted Annabeth.  
‘Your point being?’ asked Leo.  
‘Her point being: RELAX, Leo. You’re meeting up in public, not getting married’ said Hazel, holding hands with Frank.  
‘Easy for you to say, you’re already kicking the bucket of single life’ muttered Leo.  
Hazel smiled and touched noses with Frank ‘Can’t argue with that’.  
‘Alright stop being so cute you two, you’re making the rest of us look bad’ said Percy and they all managed to let out hearty laughs.  
Nico felt cozy. He was cuddling with Reyna and listening to their friends pick on Leo in his hour of need. It was justice and comfort wrapped in one.  
The doorbell rang and Leo jumped to his feet startling everyone ‘I’LL GET THAT!’  
‘Good thing he warned us cause I was about to get up and check’ replied Reyna sarcastically and everyone once again managed to snicker.  
‘Ladies and Gentlemen’ erupted a voice from the doorway ‘may I present to you the most beautiful flower you’ve ever laid eyes on: Caaaaaalypsooo!’  
A girl in denim jeans and a plain but gorgeous white sleeveless shirt with braided caramel hair came to the room with a flustered but confident face.  
‘Hi everyone’ she waved shyly ‘I don’t know any of you but you look super nice’.  
Piper grinned at Leo ‘We love her already’.  
Leo was sweating like crazy and looked like he was about to have a heart attack which made everyone guffaw endlessly.  
Will the trusty chef had made an Italian dish he knew Nico would appreciate; Napolitan Pasta.  
Everyone ate up as they rejoiced or introduced themselves for the first time.  
Nico was glad Will was at his side again as he introduced him to his two sisters.  
‘Haz, Reyna, this is my boyfriend, Will’.  
Nico felt a little guilty for not giving a dazzling or at least a deserved cheerful presentation of Will but Will seemed ok with the plain.  
‘Hi’ said Will smiling a toothy smile and reaching his hand but Hazel managed to jump on Will hugging him while Reyna gave death glares.  
‘You look adorable! Just like Nico said!’ exclaimed Hazel.  
‘You’re not a player guy are you?’ asked Reyna suspiciously.  
Will laughed nervously ‘No ma’am. Nico is all I need’.  
Reyna narrowed her eyes ‘We’ll see’.  
Will turned to Nico ‘I feel like I’ve just been assassinated by a pair of eyes’.  
Nico laughed ‘This is my little sister Hazel. She’s engaged to Frank’.  
Hazel let out a very bright and infectious smile ‘I’m really happy to meet you at last Will’.  
‘Pleasure is all mine. Being Nico’s sister must be a handful’ said Will.  
‘Hey!’ protested Nico.  
Hazel made an agreement gesture with her eyes ‘You have NO idea’.  
‘I’m standing right here!’ yelled Nico.  
‘Oh, sorry sweetie, we didn’t see you’ teased Will kissing Nico’s cheek while Nico flipped him off.  
‘William Solace’ said Percy darkly ‘What are your intentions with my Nico?’  
Annabeth slapped the back of Percy’s head ‘Would it kill you to act like a normal person for five seconds?’  
She sighed and reached her hand to Will which Will took.  
‘Hi, Will. I’m Annabeth, Percy’s unfortunate girlfriend’.  
‘Hey!’ protested Percy.  
De ja vu, thought Nico with a smirk.  
‘We and Nico go a long way back’ explained Annabeth ‘Went to Halfblood High together’.  
‘Hey, no kidding, I went there too!’ said Will.  
‘You did?!’ asked Nico shocked.  
Will nodded ‘4 years straight. Principal Kronos was a total gas. I was never really showy or known though. Just hung out with my buddy Cecil’.  
‘We were in the same high school. To think we were walking every day in the same corridor, not even realizing’ said Nico a little shaken.  
‘Fate works in mysterious way I guess, 2 years from then here we are now, Death Boy’ Will smiled.  
Nico blushed ‘DON’T call me Death Boy’.  
Will just shook his head amusedly and kissed Nico.  
Annabeth looked at them and smiled at each other.  
Cecil continued to spew embarrassing stories of Will while Leo continued with ones for Nico.  
At some point, Percy, Jason, Frank, Leo and Cecil sat their asses playing on the Play Station Jason’s dad bought Jason for Christmas and played furiously for 3 hours straight.  
Lou Ellen was at the couch with the rest of the girls talking and gushing over Hazel’s engagement ring.  
Piper started retelling her story of how she started dating Jason.  
‘He gave me the greatest gift ever’ said Piper excitedly.  
‘No way! He bought you 2 Sony Play Station games?’ asked Cecil in mock interest.  
Leo baffled turned to Cecil ‘”Friends” reference?’  
Cecil flashed his grin ‘Of course’.  
Leo patted his new friend on the back ‘Respect’.  
The girls just rolled their eyes at them  
‘All right, ladies, step aside, the professionals are playing now’ said Reyna confidently, grabbing a Nintendo remote ready to bust. ‘You’re all dead’.  
And indeed they were.  
Nico and Will just managed to sit cuddling on the couch unnoticed, with Will whispering cute stuff in Nico’s ear and Nico laughing and fake-punching Will’s bicep.  
It was so nice, Nico didn’t even care.  
After the 4th time Reyna beat the whole guys at their own game, they just started talking and asking Will a million of questions.  
Only Leo and Calypso sat more to the corner, with Leo saying stuff to her that got her either laughing out loud or rolling her eyes.   
Either gesture made Leo bite his lip and hug her and Calypso just blush profusely.  
‘Will, how come you cook so well?’ asked Percy, eating his 3rd bowl of pasta.  
Will laughed ‘I live with my stepdad and little sister and my stepdad is pretty busy so it’s really not that much of a choice’.  
‘Oh’ noted Percy.  
‘You should meet my stepMOM’ said Jason, trying to take the focus off Will and the awkward dead air that started ‘Talk about psychopaths. The woman is always sniffing around dad’s girlfriends trying to fuck them over somehow’.  
Everyone chuckled and shared life stories of their parents.  
Like how awkward it was that Piper’s mom is dating Frank’s dad, how Percy was the only one to have a nice stepparent. Stuff like that.  
By the end of the night everyone got ready to leave and say goodbye.  
They had to pry Jason and Percy off each other as old bros had to go.  
Everyone said good night to Will except for Reyna who just two finger pointed her eyes then Will’s and walked along.  
Nico kind of wanted to walk Will to his apartment since he didn’t feel like parting just yet.  
‘So? They totally loved me’ said Will, holding Nico’s hand against the fall cold.  
Nico snorted ‘Modest as always, Solace’.  
‘Eh, who cares about modesty. I was a HOOT!’   
Nico couldn’t hold a giggle and blurted it out in a way that made Will’s heart pound.  
‘Did YOU have fun tonight?’ asked Will.  
Nico pretended to think about I ‘Hmmmm I ate my favourite dish prepared by my boyfriend and hung out all night with my closest friends while cuddling. Meh, it was ok’.  
Will hugged Nico’s body from behind while walking ‘You little..’ he blew on Nico’s neck which made Nico laugh uncontrollably.  
‘Will AHAHAH p-p-please no AHAHAA’ eh couldn’t stop giggling as Will tickled and blew his neck more and more.  
‘No can do, cuteness shall not go unpunished’ vowed Will.  
They’d arrived at Will’s apartment and climbed up the stairs with Will still holding his claws out threatening to tickle.  
He chased Nico down the corridor and Nico stopped to Will’s door laughing and managing a ‘WILL!’ with a long i.  
Will pushed Nico on the door and kept teasing him more and giving him butterfly kissies.  
‘WILL STOOOP AHHAA STOP!’ Nico tried to swallow and calm down but his face was bright red from laughing too hard.  
Nico’s flustered and tired face looked adorable.  
Will had put both his hands on either side of Nico’s head on the door, trapping and looking Nico rigt in the eyes.  
Nico leaned in and they shared what was the slowest but hottest kiss they’d ever done up until now.  
They broke the kiss, faces red and breathing loudly, passion coursing through them.  
‘Nico…I…I…’ Will sighed.  
Nico was still breathing hard but kept his eyes on Will ‘What?’  
‘I…I…’ Will grabbed Nico into a protective and intimate hug, demanding every inch of Nico’s body to be held by him. He held Nico gently and needily, like he could slip away.  
He hugged tighter and to Nico’s ear he whispered ‘I…I love you’.  
Nico froze.  
‘I love you so fucking much I can’t breathe’ said Will desperately ‘I don’t know if it’s too early to say this but I can’t help it. I love you. I adore every inch of you, Death Boy. Every little thing you do, every expression, every sound. You drive me insane. I fucking love you. Love you so, so much’.  
When Nico didn’t respond, Will loosened his hug, grabbing his lover’s face ‘Nico?’  
Nico’s smile looked beautiful as tears pooled from his eyes. He looked so relieved, so… happy.  
‘Are you ok?’ asked Will, forhead touching Nico’s.  
‘Will’ Nico tried but his shaky voice failed him.  
‘What’s wrong, darling?’ Will asked, wiping Nico’s tears off.  
But Nico kept crying. He didn’t know how long he’d spent his whole life believing he was never going to hear someone say those things to him.  
That he was never going to be loved.  
He felt like he could fly if Will wasn’t cupping his face kissing his nose and eyes and eyebrows and lips.  
‘I love you, Nico’ said Will hugging Nico again ‘Through infinity and beyond’.  
Nico blew a laugh as he tried to sniffle and stop his tears.  
Nico grabbed Will’s back tight, burying himself dipper beyond Will’s jacket and inside his warm chest ‘Will…I love you, too. I-I can’t even say how much, I just can’t I….I just love…’ Nico started hiccupping while Will just rocked him back and forth like a slow dance, the way they’d danced on their first date, when they’d share their first kiss.  
Nico hiccupped vigorously from his crying while Will cradled Nico’s head on his shoulder, petting it and kissing the top whispering ‘Shhh, baby. It’s ok. I love you ok? I love you’.  
Things weren’t the best. They could’ve been at a restaurant or watching Nico’s favourite movie when they told each other they’re in love.  
Things weren’t perfect. They were almost perfect.  
And if this is an almost, thought Nico, it’s the most beautiful almost in the world.  
Not perfect. But almost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idk why but I always imagined Lou Ellen with blonde/strawberry blonde hair. Idk. Was the "I love you" part ok? This chapter was very emotional and fluffy and the smut part is REALLY close. Then comes the angsty lives of the rest of the Argo II gang. There's a lot thats gonna happen so dont think youve reached the end this is going to get very angsty but then very happy dont worry. U guysll love it. Any comments please? They really help since I really wanna hear your opinion guys PLZ. Thanks <3


	10. Sex and consequence (not necessarily in that order)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok thank you so much for commenting last time I was so happy with each of them thank you for sticking with me and reading ure all amazing <3 guys this is the smut chapter. I'm not exaggerating it is M for a reason. It's kinda very erotic fluff or very fluffy erotica. Also a surprise from Piper since she is awesome and she deserves to peel off the doubts she feels for herslf right now!

‘Come on’ huffed Piper, panic rallying on her breathing.  
She was sweating like crazy and her heart almost leaped out of her chest.  
And when she stared at the two tiny blue stripes, she lost it.  
‘Shit’ she murmured.  
Then, out of rage, kicked the door ‘SHIT!’

‘So where’s Pipes? Didn’t she know we went out for snow cones?’ asked Leo, trying to lick the peach flavoured cone leak on his hand.  
‘I don’t know’ shrugged Jason, licking his own vanilla cone (not dirty joke implied)  
‘She said she was feeling sick or something and wanted to be alone for a little’.  
‘I don’t blame her’ said Nico, carelessly smooching his kiwi flavoured cone sitting in between Will’s legs and lying his back on his chest ‘I’d get sick too if I had you as a boyfriend’.  
Will and Leo snickered while Jason flipped Nico off.  
Will leaned in to take a lick of Nico’s cone (again, no dirty joke implied) but Nico merely pushed his cone away saying ‘What the fuck are you doing?’  
‘Licking your cone’ said Will simply.  
Leo giggled ‘Ha, licking your cone’.  
Nico ignored him ‘Weren’t you the one that said you weren’t eating shaved ice in the middle of winter so you don’t get sick?’  
Will pouted ‘But…cone’.  
Nico giggled and offered his cone ‘God, you’re a hypocrite. Here’.  
Will grinned and sneaked in a few licks.  
Nico stared carefully at how Will’s tongue moved around the ice, how his eyes closed and his lips smiled at the taste.  
Nico almost got a boner.  
What? You try maintaining abstinence while watching a hot blonde up close blow a snow cone.  
It was an unspoken issue between him and Will. Sex.  
They’d said the L word about a week ago and everything’s been great so far, but the frustration for action drove them nuts.  
They were too scared to bring up the idea, but their bodies spoke a different language.  
It was time they knew it. But how do they start?  
Quite frankly, Nico was not only a college student but a virgin too.  
He had no fucking clue about sex.  
Sure, his PC bookmarks suggest otherwise, and his still remaining tabs full of gay porn videos and smut fanfictions (Nico is a nerd), but that was virtual.  
This was real. Things could go heavily wrong in the real world.  
This wasn’t touching yourself and wiping up the mess with a napkin.  
This was intercourse with another guy.  
He was also scared that Will would be grossed out at his body. Pale and scarred all over. And what if bi Will suddenly figured dicks disgusted him and hated gay sex?  
That would be the worst way to go, thought Nico.  
He really didn’t need the stress of all this.  
He’s finally in a wonderful place and having so much fun being with Will that it almost made the sex matter just a nuisance.  
Nico woke up once again from the stare contest between himself and Will’s ice cone blowjob and looked around to see both his friends grin like madmen.  
Will seemed a little pink ‘Umm I need to use the restroom, be back in a sec guys’.  
Nico nodded and let go of the arms wrapped around his tummy.  
While Will practically ran to the bathroom blushing like a red headlight, Jason and Leo kept their eyes on Nico and their grins up to their ears.  
‘What?’ snapped Nico.  
‘Could you want him more?’ asked Jason, pointing to the bathroom.  
Leo laughed ‘Yeah, you should’ve seen yourself a few secs ago, you practically raped him with your eyes!’  
‘What the fuck are you on about?!’ growled Nico burying his face behind his crossed hands.  
Leo showed off his left hand ‘You,’ he showed his right hand ‘Will’ and put his hands together ‘The fricky-frack. Ring any bells?’  
‘We haven’t even established our feelings yet!’ protested Nico.  
‘Don’t even bother. Piper told us all about you guys saying the L word. You’re busted’ mused Jason.  
Nico shot death from his eyes ‘I am going to skin your girlfriend alive’.  
Jason snorted ‘You can try’.  
‘Now that’s not fair Jason. At least you’ve HAD sex with Pipes. Nico  
is still innocent. Foreign to the touch of a man’.  
Nico calmly spoke ‘Valdez, I will come to your sofa at night and cut off your dick, put it in the blender and force-feed you the gunk with a spoon’.  
‘Funny you should mention dicks’ chuckled Leo.  
Nico actually got up from his chair to choke Leo to death, but two strong arms wrapped around from his back ‘Death Boy, can I steal you a sec?’  
‘Please, steal him all you want’ said Leo, cowering behind Jason then grinned ‘keep him tied up if you want’.  
Nico kept his eyes on Leo and scissor shaped his fingers, swirled it around and pointed at him.  
Leo and Jason laughed out loud while Will pulled Nico outside the sweet shop.  
Nico’s tongue was caught in his throat.  
What did Will want to talk about?  
This is it, thought Nico. This is Will coming out as straight.  
Lucky.  
Will took Nico’s hands in his and kissed them.  
He didn’t say anything. Nico almost collapsed in fear.  
‘Solace, spill it out already. You’re being weird again!’  
Will tittered ‘Sorry. I’ve just been…thinking’.  
‘Again? Will, I told you, it’s dangerous, you’ll hurt your head’ retorted Nico.  
Will pretended to look mad and kissed Nico’s lips.  
‘Will, I’m serious. You’re freaking me out’ said Nico, trying to shake the kiss off.  
‘No, I just wondered if you wanted to you know… watch a movie with me at my place?’  
Nico narrowed his eyes ‘Which movie?’  
‘I don’t wanna say’ blushed Will.  
‘Will’  
‘Ok. It’s “The Fox and the Hound”’.  
‘All right’.  
‘I know it might be sappy a-and—wait what?’  
‘I said ok. Any other announcements?’ asked Nico.  
‘Oh ummm no umm…’ Will was totally mumbling and dazed so Nico stood on his toes and kissed Will’s cheek ‘I’ll see you at your place, Sunshine’.  
Will seemed to sooth a little and sighed relieved.  
He smiled at Nico and returned the cheek peck.  
‘You sure you don’t have something else to talk to me?’ asked Nico curiously.  
‘Ummmm no, it’s nothing’ assured Will with a sweet smile.  
Nico knew better but he figured he’d find out tonight.  
He smiled. He didn’t know if Will knew or not, but Fox and the Hound was actually his favourite movie.  
Nico kissed Will on the lips this time. A long and wet kiss to get him jiggling home.  
When he saw his dazed face, Nico grinned ‘Later, Sunshine. I love you’.  
It took Will a couple of seconds to awake and slowly wave at Nico with the goofiest grin, touching his lips.  
‘Yeah’ he smiled warmly ‘Love you, too’.

It was time to settle the scores.  
Piper had told the two most shameless Solangelo shippers that Nico and Will had told each other they loved one another.  
What Nico did not expect to find was Piper wailing and attacking her nose with a million tissues.  
Her eyes were puffy and red, tears still streaming like rain.  
Her voice sounded frail and raspy. She was hugging a pillow and held her forehead on her palm.  
When she caught glimpse of Nico she scowled and tried to calm down dibbing her eyes with more tissues.  
Nico didn’t even know how to ask.  
‘Piper…w-w-what’s wrong?’ asked Nico awkwardly as he sat beside her.  
Shw hesitated for a second, then gave Nico a white stick with two blue stripes on it.  
‘Ummm it’s nice?’ Nico offered.  
Piper rolled her eyes despite herself ‘Nico, I’m… I’m pregnant’.  
Do you know those moments when someone in your friend circle is taking about something that you’re clueless about but just nod at them feeling to awkward to tell them you weren’t paying attention?  
Have you ever had one of your best friends tell you she’s pregnant?  
Nico fit in both categories.  
He didn’t know what the fuck to say.  
What do you say to that?  
Congrats, here’s a napkin?  
Sucks for you?  
Nico decided to go with ‘Piper, that’s awesome!’  
‘No, it’s NOT!’ she wailed more.  
Nico felt like he was being stabbed. Seeing Piper like this hurt him.  
He merely imagined the smidgeon of stress and pressure she’s feeling.  
He wrapped his hands around her and let her keep crying in a cuddle with Nico di Angelo.  
After a long, long, long time, she digressed to just sniffling and whimpering.  
‘You ok?’ asked Nico, asking for indirect permission to ask about the problem.  
Piper got the message and gave the cue nodding.  
Nico cleared his throat ‘How did you, you know… Don’t you guys use—’  
‘—Protection? Yeah’ said Piper ‘It was stupid really. Jason got a really good evaluation on his Skyscraper project and we went out to celebrate. We got totally wasted and just came back home. I could barely unhook my bra because Jason was too drunk to see the hook even with his glasses. We just got really into it and…yeah. I bought a pregnancy test today’.  
Piper held out the stick ‘One stripe: Negative. Two stripes: Positive’.  
‘Then why are you sad? Isn’t pregnancy supposed to be a happy thing?’ asked Nico.  
Piper sighed ‘It wasn’t supposed to be like this. It’s…’  
Piper readjusted her sitting and kept her eyes at her nails ‘It’s stuff like this that proves I’m the daughter of Aphrodite. People look at me and see a slutty daughter of Queen Aphrodite, just waiting to get knocked up. They expect me to slip and make mistakes. I’ve been fighting so hard all my life to prove them wrong. That I’m not just some horny airhead Aphrodite’s daughter. When they hear “Piper McLean” they think Aphrodite’s child. I want them to know me for ME. I wanted everyone to think I’m special. That I’m worth something. I’m not a dumb whore, Nico. I’m not a slut. I just don’t wanna be Piper McLean anymore’.  
Piper’s eyes filled with glassy warm tears.  
She held out the test ‘And this proves that they’re right and I’m wrong. I’m not a hero. I’m just another fucked daughter of Aphrodite’.  
Nico took one of Piper’s hands and grabbed her chin with the other, making her face him ‘Listen to me Piper McLean and don’t ever forget it. Piper has befriended Leo when nobody else would, Piper has guided Annabeth and Hazel into two happy relationships in which one is getting married, Piper has pulled Jason out of his depression after he saw his mom for the last time and Piper has pulled me from the darkest depths of myself by sheer power of your words. Piper always saved every one of us one way or another. Piper’s been there in days nobody else would. She is the heart of all of us and the one that reminds us what it means to love and be loved. That we’re family even without the same flow of blood. Piper has proved herself more times than you can count. She’s not a slut or an airhead. She isn’t dumb and the daughter of somebody. Piper McLean IS a hero. She’s a warrior who has space in her heart for everyone in need of love. If I was ever asked which superhero I’d be, you know what I would say? I’d say “I wish I was one in a millionth of Piper McLean, the hero who cherishes all”. Being Piper McLean is the highest honour anyone would have’  
Nico couldn’t pick which was shinier: Piper’s tears or her smile.  
‘YOU are Piper McLean. You’re not just a child of Aphrodite. Aphrodite is the mother of Piper McLean. Don’t ever be ashamed of that. You’re a hero, Piper, you’re our hero. And as for today, you’re going to be the best mom of all. One more person to be a hero for. Get me?’  
Piper nodded once, twice and she squeezed Nico into a tight hug followed by a little more tears, this time, of joy.  
‘Nico I… thanks, I love you. Do you really believe all that?’ Piper managed.  
‘That or you know, Creative Literature major’ chuckled Nico.  
Piper shook her head and managed to giggle.  
‘Thanks for being here’ she said.  
‘Jason would say the exact same thing if you’d have told him that. You know that right?’ asked Nico.  
Piper’s expression grimed ‘Oh Gods, what am I gonna tell Jason? This’ll ruin him. He’s got his whole life ahead with architecture and he’s got a life to live. To be saddled with a child at 19?’  
Nico snorted ‘Pipers, are you kidding? He’ll be so happy! He’s gonna be a little spooked at first but he’s going to love the kid so much and he will take care of you until then. Jason is a natural born father, he fusses all over me like I’m a toddler, he’ll be a great dad. And as for dreams, he will manage. You will too. You both are going to be awesome parents’.  
‘I guess’ said piper, biting her nail ‘Though it really is a bit scary’.  
‘Good scary or bad scary?’ asked Nico.  
Piper smiled a little holding the spot the baby is going to grow in ‘Weird scary. Amazing scary. Like I’m going to fly an airplane. I don’t know a thing about it, but I want to be great at it’.  
Nico whistled ‘Wow, from crying to happy. Hormones really are a bitch, huh?’  
Piper laughed and shoved Nico playfully ‘Can it, uncle Nico’.  
Nico smiled and held Piper’s hand ‘Everything’s going to be fine, pipes. I promise’.  
Piper laughed again and dabbed her eyes with another tissue ‘Gods, I can’t stop crying. You’d think I was you’ she laughed more.  
Nico half laughed and half oh’ed ‘Below the belt, McLean’.  
The apartment door opened with Jason and Leo laughing casually.  
Jason was holding a cone of strawberry and almond ice flavour.  
‘Pipes I brought you your favourite—PIPER WHY ARE YOU CRYING?! ’  
He practically flew to Piper’s side and wiped her eyes ‘What’s wrong, sweetie? Are you in pain or something?’  
Piper rolled her eyes and kissed Jason’s lips ‘I’m good, great in fact. But I have to talk to you in private. It’s serious’ then she pucked the cone off Jason’s hands and started munching on it.  
Jason looked confused and a little frightened.  
Piper took Jason’s hand and dragged him to his room for a nice little chat.  
Nico hoped he was here long enough to see Jason’s face when he finds out.  
He also wished he owned a video camera since his Samsung S3’a lens is broken.  
‘What’s going on?’ asked Leo puzzled.  
Nico just snickered and went to his room to grab a bag for a night at Will’s place.  
Right now he had his own pair of condoms to worry about.  
He kinda wanted to go to Piper and ask for a packet since she won’t be needing them for another set of 9 months but decided not to.  
Maybe he read the situation wrong. Maybe Will really just invited him over for a movie.  
If Nico found out he’d gotten the wrong idea the hard way, he’d die of self-shame.  
He strapped on his backpack and got out of his room.  
When he got out he witnessed the most brilliant thing since lasagne.  
Jason’s room’s door opened, with Jason walking out of it slowly, eyes wide and face white as sheet.  
He went to the kitchen, staring into one point, drank a glass of water and sat on the couch next to Leo who was playing Play Station.  
‘Woah, man, what did Piper give you to eat?’ asked Leo, eyes not parting the game and tongue sticking out in the corner in effort.  
Piper looked quite amused with this. She was enjoying the beginning of this.  
She won’t be too smug at the end, though.  
Nico went to Piper and kissed her on the cheek ‘Call me if you need anything’.  
‘Oh I will’ assured Piper.  
As Nico walked out Leo spat ‘Dude, what the fuck is going on?’  
Nico eyed Piper for approval and she nodded.  
‘Piper’s pregnant’ announced Nico winking and went out the door.  
***  
Will looked like he was wearing a hanger in his mouth to freeze him in one smile.  
He looked a little nervous and the place seemed way more clean then when Nico saw it before.  
The apartment was always littered to the floor with medical textbooks and DVD’s of movies which Will was obsessed with.  
The coffee table was littered with all the junk food you could possibly cram into a table and the couch had a blanked tossed on.  
‘Hi, sweetie’ said Will, sweating ‘Ready for the movie?’  
Nico slipped the backpack off his shoulder on the ground ‘Ok first of all, breath. You look like you’re constipated’.  
Will laughed nervously and loud, a little too much than needed.  
Nico actually found it quite amusing to see Will the one who’s embarrassed and nervous for a change.  
It proved he’s human, too. Not some kind of role model Ken doll that was too perfect to be flesh and blood.  
Nico plopped himself on the couch and raised his arms like he’s grabbing an invisible bear ‘Wiiiiiiill, I wanna cuddle!’  
Nico had grown to becoming more at ease with intimacy with Will when they were in private. He didn’t feel embarrassed to ask for hugs or kisses, Will was allowed to see that part of him.  
To nurture that part of him.  
Will smiled ‘You’re really too fucking cute’.  
He sat beside Nico and bundled his Italian boyfriend in a little bun wrapped in blankets and kept him secure in the cuddle.  
Will managed to reach a box on the table, opening it up revealing a Quatro Formatti pizza and McDonald fries on the side.  
‘YOU are amazing’ said Nico kissing Will’s cheek.  
Will blushed but managed a humble smile.  
He clicked a butto on the remote and the movie began.  
They both seemed so sucked into it, Will feeding Nico pizza and fries since he’d trapped his arms under blankets like a little potato, gasping and laughing and cooing when needed in the movie.  
Nico felt incredibly warm snuggled up in blankets next to his amazing boyfriend.  
When the movie credits showed, Will reached for a tissue crying.  
‘Do you ALWAYS cry at movies?’ asked Nico, though for this one, he couldn’t blame him.  
Will chuckled and exhaled softly so his tears dry.  
‘I have the principal to only cry during and about movies, so when I’m feeling weak or I feel like crying when I shouldn’t in real life, there won’t be any tears left’ said Will.  
Nico smiled then wrapped his arms around Will’s neck, poking his head at the crook ‘Don’t worry, Sunshine. With me, you’ll never need to cry’.  
‘That’s about the nicest thing you’ve ever said like ever’ said Will, kissing Nico’s temple.  
‘Not true’ huffed Nico ‘Today I comforted Piper too’.  
‘Oh, why?’ asked Will ‘Did something happen to her?’  
Nico grinned ‘She’s pregnant’.  
‘OH MY GODS THAT’S AMAZING!’ said Will in a loud squeaky voice.  
Nico laughed ‘I know. She and Jason had a drunk night and now she’s gonna be a mom and more importantly I’m going to be an uncle!’  
Will laughed cradling Nico around his neck ‘That’s really awesome. But why did you need to comfort her?’  
Nico frowned ‘She felt low self-esteem for being pregnant and kinda badmouthed her own name. I told her being Piper McLean is something to brag about, truly’.  
Will smiled, then tittered then started giggling.  
‘What’s so funny?’ asked Nico amused.  
Will hauled Nico on the couch and kissed him.  
When he broke it off he said ‘You. You’re funny. You seem like a walking cloud of black smoke, mister Doom and Gloom but in actuality you’re the kindest’, he kissed his temple ‘sweetest,’ he kissed his eyelids ‘cutest,’ he kissed his lips ‘hottest,’ and about that time words were incoherent and they kissed vigorously.  
Nico got strangely aroused every time Will got mushy and flushed.  
They kissed over and over and over with Will sticking his tongue in Nico’s throat and sucking on Nico’s tongue and both moaning needily.  
Will broke the kiss and started trailing kisses and bites on Nico’s neck.  
There are two types of people in this world: the ones that get mildly ticklish after tickling their neck for a long time and people who yelp in guffaw the second a finger touches the spot.  
Nico was the latter.  
And Will’s tongue was not only touching it, it was abusing it.  
Nico felt that yelp inside but it wasn’t laughter. It wasn’t funny. It was arousing as fuck.  
Nico led out sharp loud yelps and fidgeted under Will as he could almost feel himself getting hard.  
Will seemed to be preparing his own tent, too.  
When Will was about to get lower down Nico’s chest he stopped and looked at Nico ‘If you *pant* wanna *pant* stop *pant* we can *pant* ’.  
‘Are *pant* you fucking *pant* kidding me?!’ growled Nico.  
‘Right said Will.  
He got up with Nico following and both started kissing madly and stumbling across the room until they found Will’s room’s door knob.  
It opened with a thump as they both fell on Will’s bed.  
Nico had never in his entire life, done anything like this before.  
He was a pale scarred ugly fag. Who would want to fuck him, really?  
But the night he and Will said those wonderful words to each other, they gave Nico a spark of hope.  
He had a chance to ride his ectasy with the guy he loved all the way to Kingdom Come.  
Will grinded Nico like his life depended on it, both hips clashing and rocking and sending both boys sinfully amazing sensations.  
Will stood on his knees, taking off his tee exposing a copper chest with a bulky built up stomach that gave Nico phantom orgasms.  
Will reached his muscly yet soft arms to the hem of Nico’s shirt, slipping a hand in and pressing on Nico’s nipple.  
Nico fidgeted and whimpered but other voices were covered by Will’s lips and tongue inside Nico’s mouth.  
Nico removed his shirt hastily too.  
It shocked Will.  
Looking at Nico di Angelo in daily life, he looked very small and skinny and frail. But when he saw Nico shirtless is when Will realised that Nico’s body was built and lean and his back muscles were positively edible.  
Nico was a closet buff hottie.  
Nico had a few stiches and scars here and there but that just made his body look more erotic.  
‘Jesus fucking Christ, Nico. You’re so fucking hot’ whispered Will.  
Aroused by what he saw, Will went down on Nico and started unzipping his jeans.  
By then Nico was a dizzy mess. He was sweating and panting, too embarrassed and shocked to look at what Will was doing to his dick using his mouth so Nico kept his eyes focused on the ceiling.  
His vision blurred from time to time and his hips felt like moving.  
Will had grabbed Nico’s dick and started sucking it, kissing it and doing all sorts of shameless things to it to give Nico maximum pleasure.  
When Nico’s body started shaking, he knew it wasn’t going to be long.  
‘Will, aahhh, W-W-Will, s-stop, that, I’ll co..aaahh’ moaned Nico.  
Will pulled out and let Nico’s ectasy sink back in.  
He didn’t want him to come, not yet. Tonight was the night he and Nico would become one. They were going to make love to each other.  
Will wanted to be connected when they reached their peaks.  
‘Will fucking Solace, you’re the worst motherfucking tease’ moaned Nico, he couldn’t get rid of the sensations he felt of almost coming.  
Will chuckled between pant ‘Sorry, I just want to be, you know, WITH you when you come’.  
‘Ughhh you sap’ complained Nico.  
Will smiled and started nipping at Nico’s nipples, feeling kind of turned on by seeing them so innocent.  
‘Ahhh Will stop! Really, stop!’ Nico grabbed Will’s shoulders and pushed him off his nipples.  
Will looked like he was guilty of killing a man ‘Did I hurt you? Sorry, this was stupid, I...’  
‘No, no, no! It’s not that it’s just’ Nico looked the other way, pinker than before ‘I-I’m a virgin. I don’t know anything about this stuff. I just don’t wanna let you down’.  
Will growled ‘Nico, if you get cute one more time while we’re about to make love for the first time, I will eat you’.  
Will kissed Nico’s face place to places the way he usually did when he wanted to display affection of the heart AND the penis.  
He stopped and looked down too ‘To be completely honest, I’m not that good at it myself. I’ve only done it once with a girl and it was kind of like denial that I’m bi. I’ve wanted to do this with you Neeks for like a looooooong time. So I kinda looked up gay sex, how it works exactly and the equipment and stuff so I don’t hurt you. I am ready, and you don’t need to worry about a thing, I’ll take care of you. I love you Neeks. I fucking love you, and if you’re not ready to give up yourself that’s fine too. Anything you want, I’ll do it. Just say the word and I’ll either make this the best night of your life or we can leave it for another night if you’re not comfortable. Okay?’  
‘Wait you searched how to do this…for me?’ asked Nico.  
Will smiled and bumped noses with Nico ‘Of course I did, silly. I’d kill for you’.  
‘Would you be unhygienic for me?’ teased Nico.  
‘ANYTHING’ said Will and kissed him.  
Nico hugged Will ‘So stop saying stupid things like leaving it for another night. I love you too Will. You know that. I want to do this. I want you, Will. So for fuck’s sake, stop being the sweet considerate boyfriend and do me, Sunshine’.  
Will chuckled slightly nervous ‘O-okay’.  
He started making out with Nico again while he took off his own pants.  
Nico put off a brave front but he was scared to death. His heart was racing and he felt like he was going to pass out.  
As he heard Will’s belt buckle clang at its unleash, it occurred to him just that instant that whatever Will was unleashing from his pants, is going to go inside of him.  
He was really doing this. Nico di Angelo was going to have sex.  
When Will took off his boxer shorts, Nico almost gagged.  
Will’s little soldier wasn’t so little.  
It was big, and it was thick. How the fuck is that gonna fit?!  
It’s literally trying to jam a screw into a needle hole.  
But Nico trusted Will, if Will said he wouldn’t hurt him, he wouldn’t.  
Still. It was huge.  
Nico didn’t realize it, but he was shaking.  
Will opened up a drawer in his nightstand and got two stuff: a bottle and a little packet.  
Nico closed his eyes and held his breath.  
He heard a squirt and gooey substance spread.  
‘Ok, I’m going to prepare you, Neeks. You gotta bear with me a little. Relax and tell me when it hurt’s too much’ said Will in his concentration tone.  
Wait a minute. Too much? Does that mean it’s going to have initial pain either way? Nico prayed.  
He felt Will’s finger crawl up to his thighs and on his ass cheeks.  
Then it happened.  
Will’s finger was rubbing right against Nico’s hole.  
The gooey lubricant was cold and it made Nico shiver, so Will nibbled at Nico’s ear to warm him up and relax him while he tried to massage the walls.  
The first finger went in.  
Nico gritted his teeth and bit back a scream.  
It wasn’t ANYTHING like the fanfictions he’d read.  
His body wasn’t showered with pleasure when Will’s finger wandered in.  
No fucking shower of anything. Just stinging pain.  
Nico whimpered and tried to locate his hips at an angle where it could hurt less.  
Sadly, he just found spots to hurt more.  
He opened his eyes ‘Will, I’m straight’ he attempted.  
Will almost laughed ‘Death Boy don’t make me laugh when I got a finger up your ass. Just relax and concentrate on my voice, got it?’  
Nico nodded exasperatedly and relaxed just a little bit.  
Will leaned in his lover’s ear and whispered romantic sweet nothings in his ears regarding Nico while he loosened him up.  
When the first finger was somewhat bearable, then came the other finger.  
It was re-lubed and soft so it wasn’t exactly like the first finger sort of pain, but it still stung.  
Will’s words helped though, if Nico had to endure this kind of pain for anyone in the worlds, it’d be for Wil.  
He was going to give everything to him. Really everything.  
And it felt amazing. It felt right. And painful.  
When the third finger came and they pumped in and out, the pain started to swallow back a little to just plain weird feeling of fingers thrust into him.  
Will stuck his tongue out in effort.  
‘Will, you look constipated again, and to be fair, I’m the one closest to the real thing’ huffed Nico, urgently in need of some pleasure.  
‘I’m trying to find the spot that makes this process worth it’ says Will still concentrating.  
Nico grabbed the bed sheets and awaited another rush of pain to hit him.  
But when Will curled his fingers and hit a certain little spot, Nico screamed.  
It felt…good.  
Will grinned like a maniac ‘Bingo’.  
He pressed it again. Then again. And again.  
And each time Nico’s dick throbbed and jumped along with his hips and the noises he let out should’ve been illegal.  
It aroused Will to the max the way he made Nico tighten around his fingers and use his name to let out those delicious sounds.  
‘Gahh! Will, t-t-there!’ managed Nico before he bit his lip.  
It wasn’t really the same as the pleasure he gets when he jacks off, it’s kinda more intense and nicer.  
When Will slipped his fingers out, Nico made a whiny noise.  
Will’s hands were shaking. He tried to tear the condom packet but he was so freaking turned on and nervous that he couldn’t even tear a plastic packet without flicking it off his hands.  
Nico watched as Will tried to open a condom and almost laughed to the top of his lungs.  
Will joined in the laugh ‘I’m so bad at this’.  
‘We both are, so good news is it can’t go any worse; Nico licked Will’s lips ‘Will, just forget it. I don’t mind if you wear one or not. I just want to BE with you right now. I want you to take me’.  
Will threw the packet away growling and went in between Nico’s legs.  
Nico stared at Will’s cock again ‘Will, I think it’ll only fit if we cut it in half’.  
Will chuckled ‘I’ll take that as a compliment’.  
He lubed up his cock before positioning it in front of Nico’s twitching hole.  
‘Will’ said Nico.  
‘Y-yeah?’ asked Will.  
‘I love you. I’m glad you’re going to be my first’ answered Nico, blushing but genuinely smiling.  
Will’s heart skipped a beat and he almost thrust all the way in, but he managed to blink away his euphoria and begin.  
It was the head first. It went in slowly and stretched the walls like elastic.  
Nico whimpered and moaned and blinked back tears as he felt himself stretch unfamiliarly wide.  
It hurt worse than the fingers.  
Will kept grunting and snarling, Nico’s tightness squeezing his dick unfairly.  
He could feel Nico twitch and tense.  
Will opened one eye and gritted under his teeth ‘D-does it hurt?’  
Nico wanted to respond with something sarcastic like “Not at all, I’m having avblast. Please, with all due respect, shove another dick up my ass” but in the moment of pain and heat, he could barely answer ‘Y-y-yes, don’t stoooop’.  
Will felt horrible for putting Nico through this kind of pain in the ass, literally, but he couldn’t stop.  
He went in slowly till Nico’s hole swallowed all of Will’s erection.  
‘Wiiiiill, you’re hard as a fucking rock’ growled Nico, a little more relaxed.  
Will flicked Nico’s nipples again as a way to distract both of them from both feeling…full.  
Nico moaned again and shook as he felt the urge to move.  
Partly because he was tired from the pain, and because he was lazy to start moving himself, he wrapped his arms at Will’s neck, bit his earlobe and whispered ‘Fuck me, Will’.  
Will almost came. It was really close and all Nico’s fault.  
He started moving and grinding and licking all at once. Anything to release this frustration. This lust.  
‘Ahhh Will, you’re so big—AHHH!’ Nico’s old pain mixed in with that odd good feeling again.  
Will spread Nico’s legs wider and rested his elbows on Nico’s sides so their foreheads kept contact even as Will thrust in and out of Nico vigourously and Nico wrapped his legs around Will’s body.  
Will jabbed at Nico’s prostate like a madman and Nico kept screaming Will’s name and clawing his back.  
Will too started to moan in Nico’s ear ‘Nicoooo UGH GOD you’re so good and warm! Ughh I’m dyiiiing FUCK AHHH’  
Nico thrust up as well impatiently ‘Harder, Will! Fuck me harder, right there! AHHHH! It feels goooooood…’  
They both chorused each other’s names and humped each other and screamed like maniacs.  
Nico could feel it. It was almost like pee. But SO much better.  
It was going to come out of his dick which was being rubbed by his and Will’s stomachs uncontrollably.  
Both were sweating and smelled wet like sex.  
Will kept licking Nico’s chest sweat and bit anything he could manage.  
But what made Nico come with no objections was Will whispering ‘I fucking love you, my angel’.  
Nico let out a final loud erotic scream and Will followed not two seconds next to him.  
They rode each other and shared a hungry tongey kiss, high and suffocating in ectasy.  
It was absolute Elysium.  
Nico almost passed out as he wheezed and energy left his limbs.  
Will collapsed completely on top of him and seemed just as beat up too.  
‘That’ Nico wheezed ‘was insane’.  
Will chuckled despite of his short breath ‘I can vouch for that’.  
‘That was one of the best things I’ve ever felt’ admitted Nico.  
Will laughed ‘You’ve felt other stuff equal to that?’  
By this point, Nico was too spent to care ‘When I kissed you and when you told me you loved me. Those definitely quality’.  
‘Ughhh I’m saying this too much but I can’t help it’ Will hugged Nico and they both rolled so they were both lying on their opposite shoulder yet facing each other ‘I fucking love you, Nico di Angelo. And I had sex with you. I can’t fucking believe it’.  
Nico snorted ‘Better believe it with the sore ass I’m so going to feel tomorrow’.  
Will pouted and lifted Nico’s foot.  
He kissed Nico’s butt cheek and snuggled his face with Nico’s.  
‘Didn’t mean to make your cute butt hurt, sorry, darling’ cooed Will.  
Nico laughed ‘Fuck you’.  
Will grinned ‘You already did’.  
Nico just rolled his eyes then remembered ‘Will we need tissues, I’m plastered and leaking with cum’.  
‘Oh right!’ said Will running for napkins and cleaning Nico like he would a newborn.  
Nico didn’t complain. He liked being handled so preciously by Will every now and then.  
Will lied back down and just stared at Nico with a smile.  
Nico did the same.  
It just felt nice.  
Will leaned in to Nico and kissed his eyelids and lips peckishly.  
‘I love your chocolate eyes, they’re sweet’ said Will in all seriousness.  
Nico just replied with ‘I love you Will. I just…do’.  
Will snickered and opened up his large arms ‘C’mere’.  
Nico tried to hesitate but he immediately jumped so he could wrap himself up in his man’s warm body cuddling like kitties and stay there forever.  
Will actually purred ‘Prrr’.  
‘Don’t start’ warned Nico.  
And that is how Nico di Angelo lost his veirginity.  
Not that he will need it anymore. Trust me.  
Better yet, trust Will. And Nico’s ass in the morning.  
It was the welcoming ceremony of a bumpy yet beautiful ride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to write the smut part a little more towards comedy cuz its always mushy or very dirty so I thought I'd add humor just to make it more realistic. Cuz we all build the idea of this awesome romantic first time but in reality it has lots of bumps. Hope the smut was ok for all. Next chapter explains Will's tub crying, its rlly sad and angsty though but Will is a touch cookie :) <3 thank u all sincerely for sticking with me Im having a lot of fun writing i hope u are having fun reading. See ya next chapter ;) please comment alot cuz it boosts my resolve to right and please critisize and compliment what u thought was and wasnt ok. I love u all ,3 Skyler out


	11. Fixing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey so this where botht ehir secrets are out and sorry its long but its info that I was needed. Ive been out of comission for a little and i apologize but I am starting at a brand new school like I transferred after bein gin the previous one for 4 yrs and Im a nervous wreck. Hope u like this :D PLEASE comment and share your thoughts. Comments are what fuel me plz. Love yall <3

Chapter 11: Fixing  
Contrary to popular belief, it is very hard to sneak into an apartment without making the slightest of sound at 4 A.M.  
Especially when you’re giving a grown Italian a piggy back ride along the process.  
Will managed to unlock Nico’s apartment’s door and swayed sideways.  
‘Careful!’ hissed Nico, hands wrapped and clutched on Will’s shirt from behind.  
They passed by Leo’s couch, where Leo lay snoring, mouth open, arms outstretched like he’s expecting a hug and feet sprawled all over like he’s swimming.  
The coffee table and floors were littered with junk food debris and soda cans making it considerately tricky to walk.  
Will walked through the junk food traps balancing Nico’s legs on his hips but managed to accidentally step on a candy wrapper.  
He and Nico both winced at the sound and turned their heads to see Leo merely flinch, mumble something along the lines of “Team Leo for the win” and turned his face in his pillow.  
Will could feel the vibration of the relieved sigh from Nico’s chest to his own back.  
Will smiled.  
Tip-toeing, Will reached Nico’s door, readjusted Nico on his back and slowly turned the door knob.  
He closed the door gently and managed to lay Nico comfortably on his own bed.  
‘My ass is killing me’ groaned Nico as he tried to sit up on his elbow but the sting made him plop back down.  
Will made a sympathetic face and set beside Nico ‘Sorry again’.  
‘Hey, t’was worth it’ grinned Nico and turned to his side voicing tiny groans and growls.  
‘Now THAT I can’t argue against’ said Will.  
He stroked Nico’s cheek ‘If there’s ANYTHING you need, anything at all, just call me, ok? Whatever it is I’ll get it or do it for ya. How do you feel right now?’  
‘Like I just pooped a spike-ball but Will’ said Nico ‘I’m FINE. Really. I just got a sore tushy. But I feel great. I just fucked this gorgeously hot blonde. Life is a blessing right now’.  
Will laughed ‘I’m just a little worried, I guess’.  
Nico had a little satisfied smile on his face, eyes watching his hands take Will’s and start exploring his fingers, stroking his palm quietly.   
‘Last night was the best night of my life’ said Nico quietly almost to himself ‘I’d never felt so…needed. It was just ugh, amazing. I got to share it with you and that makes me feel, I don’t know, complete I guess? Gah, you’re bad influence, you made me all sappy like you’.  
Nico scrunched up his face, annoyed at his tactless choice of words and looked away blushing.  
Will just shook his head amused and leaned to Nico’s ear.  
‘I love you’ he whispered.  
‘Yeah’ Nico tried to sound annoyed but was really pleased ‘You’ve said that about 50 times alone last night’.  
Will cleared his throat and held up a finger ‘It is better to repeat truth than to create a lie’.  
‘I hate it when you do that’ Nico said.  
Will tried to look serious and straightened an imaginary tie ‘Someone has to be the better brain of this relationship’.  
‘The better brain?!’ Nico almost moaned laughing. ‘You’re a freaking dork, Solace’.  
‘Nicolas, please’ pleaded Will, pretending to fan himself and be infatuated.  
‘You did NOT just call me that’ said Nico.  
‘Umm, I think I just did’ Will grinned ‘What’ya gonna do about it, Death Boy?’  
Nico tried to move and grab Will but his stinging bottom wouldn’t let him do large tricks so he just stared at Will saying ‘William’.  
Will gasped ‘You take that back’.  
Nico grinned ‘Make me’.  
Will wanted to attack Nico in tickles like he had the night they confessed, but in Nico’s state he just stared into Nico’s Bambi innocent eyes and stroked him around his waist, feeling the stiches on Nico’s skin he’d kissed 8 hours ago.  
‘I lose’ said Will and kissed Nico.  
Nico tried to scowl but his face just kept grinning and he kept letting out these tiny 3 second laughter moments and stroking his face as if he was checking if he was really there, really the one going through this thing.  
It made Will’s heart contract and sting almost worse than his love’s bum.  
His eyes caught on Nico’s nightstand and he noticed the Buzz LightYear figurine Will had returned to Nico and proposed they date exclusively.  
He picked it up and smiled ‘You still got this?’  
Nico snorted ‘Good heavens no. Keep the first gift the first guy I ever loved gave me? Are you crazy?’  
Will rolled his eyes and set the little figurine back on its spot.  
Next to it was a figurine of the Mythomagic character Hades of the Underworld.  
Will picked it up and flipped it. The bottom had a description

Happy Birthday, my little Ghost King.  
Love,  
Bianca the Boss.  
Will chuckled both in amusement and melancholy.  
He let it settle on the table since he didn’t want to remind Nico.  
He noticed a photo frame too.  
3 photo frames actually.  
The first photo was of a woman, dark chocolate hair, chocolate brown eyes, olive skin, a face dotted with freckles and paint laughing, holding two other kids with paint on their faces.  
One kid was a 13-year-old girl, much like the woman only she had teeny tiny freckles on her nose and cheeks and she was holding a paint bucket.  
The other kid, much younger than the girl, about 10-years-old, looked like he was giggling.  
He had jet black hair, olive skin, Bambi innocent eyes and the smallest trace of freckles on his nose. He was holding a paint brush and looked like he was splashing the other females while the woman enveloped them into a warm hug.  
Will took in his hand the frame and stroked the young boy’s face.  
The kid looked so innocent, so childish, so happy. His life was like any other kids’. He had a mother. He had a sister. He had paint. And he had a smile.  
Will almost choked back a sob.  
‘This is you’ he said.  
Nico turned his head and when he saw the picture his expression turned soft.   
‘Yeah’ he answered ‘Yeah, that’s me’.  
‘And this is your mom’ continued Will, stroking the woman’s cheerful sunny face.  
Nico nodded.  
Will’s finger went to the girl that resembled her mother ‘And this is…’  
‘…Bianca’ said Nico.  
Will took his time with Bianca’s face.  
Little Nico had clutched an arm between his mom and sister, like he was trying to hold them down to earth so they never left.  
Will raised the frame to his face and kissed little Nico.  
He settled the frame back and looked at the second.  
It was of teenager Nico almost smiling at the camera and a smiling Hazel hugging his neck from behind and pressing her cheek to her brother’s.  
Will cooed in his mind and his heart pooped jellybeans.  
The third frame was different however.  
High School Graduation.  
Percy and Annabeth were both smiling, Reyna approvingly grinning while holding Frank and Hazel’s shoulders. They looked so young.  
Then there was Piper, grinning like the sun and waving at the picture.  
Jason had an arm slung around her neck and Leo was holding his two fingers in peace while he and Jason had an arm slung around Nico’s sides and Nico was in the very middle.  
He was pouting and blushing, hands crossed and his eyes avoiding the camera.  
Will chuckled.  
Nico had framed the 3 teams he’d cared most for his entire life.  
Nico noticed what Will was gazing at.  
He started snickering a little and shook his head amused.  
‘What is it?’ asked Will.  
‘I remembered something stupid is all’ said Nico.  
Will took Nico’s hand and kissed it ‘Tell me. You know I love stupid’.  
Nico hesitated a little then cleared his throat ‘I’m just the happiest person. I have all I need in this room’.  
Will smiled but saw Nico’s pink ears, embarrassed for opening up so mushy and dramatic, so Will decided to take another course of action ‘That is wrong. You don’t have all you need in this room’.  
Nico cocked an eyebrow.  
‘You don’t have a fridge’ pointed out Will ‘or a toilet’.  
Nico couldn’t help laughing and kissing Will’s palm.  
Will just kept gazing at his boyfriend.  
He didn’t want Nico to ever feel lonely again. Never.  
He kissed Nico’s forehead and before he could get up, he felt a tug on his wrist.  
‘Staaaaay’ wined Nico childishly.  
Will laughed and kissed his lips ‘You know I can’t. They’ll suspect if they find me here’.  
Nico pouted ‘Can you leave your shirt here?’  
‘My what?’ asked Will puzzled.  
‘Your shirt’ repeated Nico shyly ‘You can take any one of mines in the closet. Just please…let me have your shirt’.  
Will looked confused.  
‘Don’t make me say it again, Solace’ growled Nico, covering his face.  
Will then shrugged as he took off his shirt ‘Fine by me, if you like wanna use the smell to imagine me in lewd scenarios and touch yourself’.  
Nico snorts ‘I don’t need to imagine it, Solace. I lived it’.  
Will snickers ‘Fair point’.  
‘It’s just, I wanna have something of you since I’m gonna be stuck here all day’.  
Will removed a bang from Nico’s eyes and caressed his cheek ‘You won’t be. I’ll come by for lunch. I’ll bring you anything pickup’.  
‘MCDONALDS!’ shouted Nico with glee.  
Will wanted to protest but the way Nico’s face shone, he just couldn’t bring himself to be the one to turn off that light.  
‘McDonalds it is’ Will put on Nico’s black sweater with the caption “Nightmare before Christmas”.  
‘Oh and Will’ added Nico ‘Thanks for, this morning, listening. Also telling me about you. I meant what I said’.  
Will made a sad smile ‘I know you did, sweetheart. I love you for that’.  
He leaned in for one last kiss with Nico, even though he couldn’t get enough of them.   
Nico’s mouth was like a marshmallow, it could heat up nicely, was sweet and soft.  
Will could never ever get enough kisses with Nico di Angelo.  
They made out for two minutes and parted quite satisfied.  
‘I love you, mi amore’ said Will, boasting in his new Italian dictionary’s behalf.  
Nico smiled ‘I love you too, idiota’.  
Will turned and looked at Nico’s angelic face closing his eyes, yawning like a kitten which almost made Will faint in cuteness, and pull Will’s shirt next to him, snuggling it with his face and whiffing at it.  
He smiled and fell asleep.  
Will felt like he could fly.  
He recalled his and Nico’s time hours ago after they’d woken up from their fornicating.  
Nico was still uncomfortable and sticky but his lower body ached and he could barely move without feeling his pelvis crumble like dust.  
Will went to the bathroom and brought back a bowl of warm water and a cloth.  
He dabbed the cloth in the water, wrung it a little, and started to slowly clean Nico up.  
He didn’t rush. He could tell Nico loved the feeling of someone cleaning him up like that.  
It was very intimate .  
‘Thank you, nurse’ chuckled Nico.  
Will made a seductive look ‘I love it when we roleplay’.  
‘You wish, Solace’ snickered Nico.  
Will kept on cleaning Nico slowly.   
He dipped the cloth in the water, swirled it around, wrung it midair and pressed it on Nico’s cool skin.  
He ran the cloth through Nico’s chest, to where he’d licked his stomach and nipples.  
He slid the cloth to Nico’s waist, where he’d kissed the wounds and stiches on Nico’s skin.  
Will knew better than to ask about the wounds by now.  
Nico was a complicated person. Urging him to talk about stuff like this doesn’t do him any good.  
He had achieved enough already.  
According to his friends and by Will’s own results, Nico wasn’t exactly the sharing type.  
Yet here they were, Nico had given Will the three most beautiful words in the English language. And he had given up his innocence.   
He didn’t want to give Nico more than he could chew for now.  
But there was still something he was curious about.  
‘Was this really, you know, your first time?’ asked Will, cheeks warm.  
‘I think we’ve established through my ass hurting session that, yes, I am’ replied Nico.  
Will laughed ‘No, it’s just that you’re quite an attractive person. I find it hard to believe that someone like you could have never had sex’.  
Nico got a miserable look on his face all of a sudden.  
‘Aw, crap. I shouldn’t have said that’ Will held his head with his palm.  
‘It’s okay. You’re my boyfriend. You have the right to know’ said Nico softly.  
Will looked at his love ‘Nico, if you don’t want to tell me about the shit you’ve been through, it’s not a bad thing. If you don’t feel like doing this,’  
‘I WANT to do this. I want you to know’ said Nico with a tug of a smile on his lips. ‘Besides, we’ve already screwed, it’s easier to spout secrets if you’ve already seen the person naked’.  
Will laughed and after wringing the cloth again, started to stroke Nico’s legs with now colder water.  
A little silence dominated for about a few minutes and Nico almost gave up on the idea of telling Will about him.  
Then Will absentmindedly looked up at Nico and gave his kind beautiful smile.  
His blue gentle eyes still made Nico see stars in their own way.  
They were the first things that made Nico’s heart abuse Nico’s ribcage.  
He felt those blue eyes on him, when Will had said the 3 most beautiful words in the English language.  
He couldn’t help it. He’d fallen in deep for the goofball.  
He couldn’t stop.  
Nico faced the wall on his left and cleared his throat ‘Hazel wasn’t exactly my only sister. I had an older one… Her name was Bianca’.  
Will tilted his head sideways like a cute puppy ‘Why haven’t I ever met her?’  
‘Had’ repeated Nico.  
‘Oh…OH!...Oh’ Will felt like he had the vocabulary of a 3 year old and the IQ of a toothbrush.  
He wanted to apologize but he felt that there was more to it.  
‘My dad was obsessed with politics at the time and he was running for Minister or something. He had more money than he could count. But that meant he had a lot of enemies, too. He was going up against the former Minister, Gaea, for like, ever’.  
‘I remember something about that’ said Will ‘Wasn’t she in a comma after that bombing?’  
Nico nodded ‘That’s the one. Dad was pretty eager to beat her so he was always busy non-stop. So my mom, Bianca and I practically lived alone. To oppose my dad, Gaea opened up this youth centre and on the day of the opening, the bomb went off. My mom was there’.  
Will felt a lump form in his throat.  
‘My dad went into this pit of depression and hardly ever looked at me and Bianca anymore. From then on I was raised by Bianca. She taught me Italian, she bathed me, dressed me, fed me, babysat me while other 13 year old teens like her got to go out and enjoy adolescence. She raised me and indulged all of my annoying hobbies like collecting Mythomagic figurines. She bought me one for each of my birthday because the main Gods were more expensive than the minor Gods’.  
Nico had a hint of fire I his eyes. Like his dorky side almost peeked out.  
Will wanted to eat that dork.  
Nico cleared his throat ‘Anyway, when Bianca turned 14 and I turned 10, my father got a call from New Orleans. He’d had an affair there during one of his business travels with a woman called Marie Levesque. The woman had just gotten locked up in the Insane Asylum at the phone call of her little daughter she wanted to ship to Alaska. Hazel told me how her mom thought she heard voices in her head every night so she’d randomly laugh or cry and Hazel was just, terrified. She’d called the cops when her mom almost got physical and ended up in the care of my dad’.  
Nico laughed a bitter dry humourless laugh ‘You would not believe how big a prick I was to her at first. Bianca welcomed her like she had always had Hazel for a sister. Hazel was this shy, traumatized broken kid that only smiled when Bianca tried to make her laugh or made flower origami for her. It’s not that I didn’t love Hazel. I just didn’t trust her. She just suddenly popped into our lives and expected a place in my family. It scared me so I steered clear of her at the beginning even though she tried to befriend me every day. That’s when the shit hit the fan.  
‘Bianca had these 4 best friends she’d met in summer archery camp, Zoe, Thalia and Artemis. They always organized these little missions and adventures and they stepped on the wrong foot. The bombers of the youth centre Gaea opened were a mafia that stayed in the USA called Tartarus. I don’t know why you’d name a group that, personally I’d name it something catchier like the Skulls’.  
Will managed to chuckle.  
‘Nobody knows for sure what happened. Thalia and Artemis said they were trying to catch the Tartarus mafia. I woke up to a bang on the door and my dad opened it, a police officer there. I was hiding at the staircase bars with Hazel clutching my arm next to me. The cop said there’d been a shooting at the Tartarus headquarter. Artemis and Thalia were at the emergency room but alive. Zoe had been hit on the head and fished out of the New York East river. Bianca had been shot on the leg and chest and bled to death’.  
Nico paused for a little and Will felt awful.  
But Nico went on ‘They’d found one belonging on her hand that she’d kept during the shooting. It was a Mythomagic figure. The only one I needed to complete my collection. It was like the rarest item and I don’t know how in the motherfucking world she found it, but she did. For my birthday which was tomorrow. My dad went to confirm the body and Hazel started crying. Bianca was probably the only true family member she’d ever had her whole life who’d been nice to her no matter what. When my father came back he looked like a mess. He was close to cracking and even worse than he usually did. I felt like I’d been betrayed. I had a million questions which I kept asking my dad. He told me to let it go and I probably should have, but I was a stubborn little fuck. I asked and asked and egged my dad on. I probably deserved it, but I’ll never forget the way he lost it. He screamed at me and roughed me up. He said it should have been me instead of Bianca. Quite honestly I agree with him. Hazel jumped in and held my dad back as best she could before I’d start bleeding. My dad stopped and cursed, said some classic insults and went to his room. Against all odds, Hazel was amazing. She helped me through everything and she didn’t even owe me anything. All I ever did to her was make her feel like my brotherly love was something she had to earn. I don’t know why she even talks to me.  
‘After that my relationship with my dad pretty much went to hell. He tried to bribe me into forgiving him that he beat the shit out of me and basically chose my big sister over me. I never budged. Elections were coming near and Tartarus wanted to sabotage that. After Bianca died I started to get ticked off about everything. I picked a lot of fights with kids who messed with Hazel because she got bullied for her crazy mom. I got in detention one day but dad couldn’t pick me up, he was at a meeting.’  
Nico rolled his eyes and sat up on his elbows ‘I was walking home alone and I got kidnapped by Tartarus. The idea was to take me for ransom so my dad’s elections would escalate. I was kept there for almost 2 weeks and I tried to get away a lot. So they taught me a lesson or two about what happened if I tried to get away’.  
Will stared at Nico’s scars and stiches.  
‘They locked me into this box when I got too stubborn and I spent a week in there’.  
Nico stroked his face with his palm and cleared his throat ‘Eventually, my dad paid up a pretty huge ransom for his nuisance of a son and I got released. My dad lost the election as planned but he managed to land a job next to the Minister. I spent some time in the hospital and a few months in therapy. I’d lost colour of everything. I barely ate or slept. I flunked school, I picked more fights. Hazel was the only person I talked to and smiled for. She was the only person to love me at times when everyone doubted me. Teachers hated me, kids were afraid of me. My therapist suggested I write up the things I feel and share them or keep them to myself. Whichever I preferred. I took a shot at it. I read a lot and writing was the only outlet I had. I wrote a play for school called the “Last Olympian” and for a while everyone praised me for it. But later on they started to be disgusted of me again. By the time I was 13, and I’d started smoking. I skipped classes a lot to go light one up. By the time I was 15 I started drugs. I fucked myself up more and more. I was always high or miserable. One day though, I was in the school bathroom and I was smoking pot in the bathroom stall. That’s when I spotted Jason and Leo. I’d known them when I was 7 because Thalia is Jason’s big sister and Leo was Jason’s best friend so we had play dates but after Bianca’s death I never saw them. They caught me smoking and Jason threw my cigarette away yelling and lecturing me about drugs. It was comical. He always says the same sappy stuff. They got me out the bathroom and Leo slung his arm on my shoulder as if we’ve been besties for life. They headed me for a picnic of a lot of kids. That’s when I met Percy, Annabeth, Reyna, Piper and Frank. Hazel was there holding hands with Frank which completely took me by surprise but that’s not important. Every day since, I was dragged to eat lunch, go to the library with, study with and hang out with all of them. “The Argo II”. Whenever I felt like doing drugs or something they’d take me out to McDonalds. That’s when I realized I wasn’t the only one who went through shit’.  
Will was listening like a kid in a library with the teacher reading Dr Seuss.  
He moved up to Nico’s torso and started cleaning Nico’s neck and arms.  
Nico went on looking anywhere besides Will’s face ‘Every one of them had their fucked up life stories. Jason’s mom left him and Thalia and died in drunk driving while his dad fucks anything that moves and his stepmom tries to catch him in the act. Leo lost both parents and has been practically homeless with the Child Protection Agency on his tail, he’d been hiding and living in Jason’s tree house for a decade and had to work in repair shops, he hasn’t even gone to college, Calypso is Leo’s boss’s daughter, that’s how they met. Piper had been bullied for being the daughter of the Queen of Men and her dad barely saw her as a kid. Frank lost his mom and lived with his aggressive sexist dad. Reyna lived with her big sister who was attending College and worked night time shifts at Amazon since their dad died and her mom’s out of the picture and barely made rent. Percy had ADHD and dyslexia and an abusive stepfather before his mom remarried happily. Annabeth was lost at a fieldtrip once at the Zoo and she’d fallen in the spider’s cage all day long and they only found out at night after the bus had left and the employees were doing routine checks. She’s been traumatized of them ever since and her divorced parents use her as a way to prove who’s a better parent, Annabeth had gone through a lot of depression and even cutting before she met and got together with Percy. They all treated me like family even when I came out publically. I got beat up a lot of times at school for it but then I got my own protection squad’.  
Nico snorted and Will smiled.  
‘Jason, Leo, Percy and Frank always had my back. At that time I got a crush on Percy and I’d told only Jason about it. Still it was hard. My dad was super against queers and when he found out he almost kicked me out. Hazel saved me once again. I got into drugs again and went to rehab a bunch of times. When I got out I told Percy how I felt in front of the whole gang and that I was over him. It was my last year at high school so we all planned to go to college together. I got ganged up once by a bunch of over-religious kids about the gay thing. I broke my leg and the protection squad broke the leader’s nose and both leg. Graduation came along and we started settling into our new apartments. Before I left home I gave dad a play I wrote in rehab. It was called “Green is a Sin”. It was a play about a kid living in a world where being Vegetarian is the equivalent of being gay and eating meat was heterosexual. This kid got bullied and eventually killed himself when he was caught eating a salad. Ever since, my dad wanted to work things out between us and apologized, but I cut all contacts with him. Though my dad tried and still tries, I didn’t talk about it. He finances me and Hazel for both our lifetimes but we never talk. We only saw each other when he remarried to this crabby bitch called Persephone. After that: nothing. So I moved in with Jason, Leo lives in our couch while he works night time and daytime at the repair shop, Annabeth and Percy share an apartment with Piper, Hazel and Frank have their own place with Reyna and the rest is history’.  
Will tried to digest all the new information he’d received at 2 AM.  
Nico didn’t cry. If anything he looked relieved and somewhat less tense.  
He looked up at Will and coughed ‘I know I wasn’t exactly the best model citizen but I am trying . I really am. So just…don’t hate me’.  
Will washed Nico’s face with the cloth, threw it away and hugged Nico.  
‘How could I ever hate you, mio soldatino?’ said Will, kissing Nico’s neck fondly .  
He had new respect for his man.  
Will felt like he loved Nico even more. To think how strong he’d been all this time against all odds, his one and only was tough!  
Will bumped noses with Nico and kissed Nico’s lips.  
It wasn’t an open kiss. It wasn’t a lustful or tender kiss or a peckish one.  
It was just a lovable kiss. It was affection.  
‘Don’t pity me, Solace’ said Nico, trying to put up the emo attitude again.  
Will shook his head ‘I don’t pity you, Nico. I admire you’.  
He hugged Nico again and got up walking to his closet.  
He went in the closet.  
‘Will, is this you coming out as gay? Because I already know’ voiced Nico amused.  
Will came out of it with a bunch of clothing draped over his arms.  
He walked up to Nico and started putting socks on Nico.  
‘Will, what exactly are you doing?’  
‘Dressing my boyfriend. Duh!’ said Will obviously.  
Nico chuckled ‘Splendid, but why?’  
‘Oh, didn’t I tell you when I entered the closet?’ asked Will, lifting Nico’s torso and slipping two sweaters on the boy.  
‘No, you left that part out’ noted Nico, wriggling his head inside the sweaters head holes.  
‘Well’ said Will, wrapping a ginormous three layered puffy coat around Nico followed by a scarf ‘I am taking us to a very nice quiet place where we can enjoy a beautiful view of winter’.  
‘And is that place by any chance a freezer? Besides, it’s snowing like crazy outside. Where the fuck are you taking us?’ asked Nico, fidgeting in his uncomfortably thick clothes.   
‘You’ll see’ winked Will. He grabbed another pair of clothes and started dressing slowly, to Nico’s pleasure.  
‘You know, you’re not making it nearly as easy for me to leave this room’ said Nico, smirking at his boyfriend’s body.  
Will sighed ‘What to do? I always have that effect on people. It’s a curse, really’.  
Nico laughed ‘You cocky son of a--’  
Will lifted Nico off the bed bridal style, firm grip under Nico’s knees ad back ‘I love you too, Death Boy’.  
***  
Cecil’s sorry excuse of a pick-up truck which Will used more often than the owner did, parked hesitantly in front of a cake shop coated in snow.  
Will got out of the car and walked to the passenger door picking Nico up, slamming the car door with his foot and heading towards the shop’s front door.  
He slipped Nico on a piggy back position after he realised he needed hands to find the keys and open the door.  
‘What is this place? Asked Nico, though he was sure he would hear nothing of the answer with those ridiculous giant earmuffs Will insisted Nico wore.  
‘My job’ replied Will and the door clicked open ‘Here we go’.  
It was dark inside. But it smelt like fudge coated Christmas.  
Will switched the lights on to reveal a small cosy space with giant windows and amazingly soft looking couches.  
Will layed Nico on one of the couches displaying the windows at it’s right side.  
The wallpaper was sky blue with little bees sitting on flowers and eating sweets which looked bizarre, even for Nico.  
The register isle had racks and trays of little chocolates and cakes, trying to look innocent.  
Will ran behind the register and into the back room saying ‘B-R-B’.  
Nico rolled his eyes at Will’s internet slang and started to untangle his scarf.  
‘What do you think you’re doing?’ asked Will, back with a tray of two steaming mugs and a plate of truffles.  
‘Trying to untangle myself from the human shield?’ retorted Nico.  
‘No, no, no’ Will set the tray on a table next to the couch and started tying Nico’s scarf back ‘This place doesn’t have heating and I won’t allow you to get a cold’.  
‘Then why did you bring me here? And how come I’ve never known about your job until now?’ asked Nico, arms crossed.  
Will looked the other way rubbing the back of his neck ‘Well, my family is a lot like the Weasley family: lots of kids, little money. I got this job to pay for college and rent and everything else my stepdad can’t afford’.  
Nico raised his eyebrow ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’  
Will shrugged ‘I don’t know. I guess I just didn’t want to seem…poor?’  
Nico felt bad about making Will answer. It must not be a thrill to remind other people and yourself that you can barely afford socks, let alone college.  
‘Oh. Sorry, I didn’t know’ said Nico softly and took Will’s hand in his.  
Will smiled ‘Don’t worry about it’.  
They lied on their usual position, Will having Nico lying on hi between his legs, both staring at the scenery of quiet snow falling out the giant windows.  
They sipped hot cocoa and covered themselves up in a blanket as Will fed Nico truffles.  
Will kept talking about movies and food and sometimes he’d point up shapes he made up on the snow outside.  
But Nico’s mind went somewhere else.  
It had bothered him since the day he met Will. Or rather the night they cuddled.  
Will was laughing at a joke he was explaining on the movie “Kill Bill” when Nico interrupted.  
‘Will’ he said.  
‘Yes, hun?’ asked Will, kissing the top of Nico’s head affectionately.  
‘Can I ask you something?’   
‘Of course. Anything’.  
‘Why were you crying in that tub?’ asked Nico, regretting the question after listening to the sound of Will’s silence.  
Nico sighed and turned looking at Will’s sad blue eyes ‘I poured every dirty secret my soul had to offer today. I’m not saying this is tit for tat, but know that I trust you with my secrets. I just hope you trust me with yours’.  
Will looked at Nico with the same eyes that had looked glassy and broken the day they’d eaten McDonalds and Nico had brought up the same incident.  
Will rubbed his face with his palms and sighed. ‘You’re right, Neeks. You’re really right. I’m sorry for not telling you sooner. I really am. It’s not that I don’t trust you, far from it. The subject is kind of depressing’.  
Nico snorted ‘And we were talking about my great achievements before. Will, I was made to listen to depressing’.  
Will smiled ‘You’re just unreal’.  
‘Well, my ring has been falling off my finger like a holograph’ replied Nico.  
Will rolled his eyes and laughed.  
‘Will’ Nico reminded ‘The tub thing?’  
‘Right’ Will was still lying on his back but Nico had turned to rest his chin on Will’s chest, his arms folded under his throat, ready for anything to come.  
‘Well, my story really isn’t different from yours’ said Will ‘Lots of the same stuff happening. But I wasn’t the victim this time’.  
Nico didn’t interrupt, he just stared at Will with his big brown doe eyes, ready to listen.  
Will kept petting the top of Nico’s head, rubbing Nico’s locks between his fingers, as he unfolded his story.  
‘My dad really isn’t the better role model either. He’s a narcissist. He has this band called “Apollo is awesome” and has like wordly tours everywhere. He had a lot of affairs and stuff which is basically how my family tree was planted and grew into a big tree. I had 2 big brothers and a little sister, that I know of for now’.  
It sounded like a joke, but Will didn’t sound like he was kidding.  
‘My Eldest brother’s name was Lee. Lee Fletcher. He was 6 years older than me. My second eldest was Michael Yew. He was 4 years older. They both had different surnames because dad had had them with different women and they didn’t want the surname of a father who abandoned them. My mom took them in indifferently. They’re the reason I’m such a movie and book nerd. Lee loved Harry Potter and Michael loved V for Vendetta. Even when they were teenagers they never left me out. They always brought me along to movies, escorted me to conventions, they even saved up money to buy hardcover books that I loved for my birthday. They were the best big brothers I could ask for. And then Amay joined the family. But when Lee was 15, he started haemorrhaging and getting stomach pains. We went in for cat scans and tests and Lee was diagnosed with stomach cancer level 4. He’d started metastasizing in Junior year of high school. I was 9 then. Amy was 4. He got worse and worse until his body just gave in. We’d camped in the hospital room for 2 weeks before he died. We kept rewatching his favourite movies, movie marathons were Lee’s favourite. For every movie and moment Michael started crying and breaking down and Lee comforted him. Amy and I didn’t get it. We were very young and we hadn’t really created a concept of life and death. But when the doctors came to the waiting room and shook his head and when I saw Lee’s body not move, I got it. I think that’s when I realized I wanted to become a doctor. Because we weren’t the only one losing a loved one that day. Every turn of your head you noticed a family or two either smiling or crying. I wanted to be the one to make sure they smiled. I wanted to be the one to bring people hope. Lee’s death gave mom great shock even though he wasn’t even her own kid. Her job became increasingly difficult. Our family budget was wearing thin. So mom married. The guy seemed okay at first, but he has this temper. Michael never liked him. Not one bit. Michael was the type of guy who spoke through actions and had way more attitude than normal. He and the stepfather always got into arguments and mom always tried to defend Michael which made Stuart really angry. Mom was a hard worker. Dad never offered child support and we rarely saw him. He didn’t even come for Lee’s funeral. Stuart started to become a sit-in kind of guy, beer in hand, remote in the other and that was about it. Mom worked herself to exhaustion, she often fainted and had to go to the hospital for shots. Things went on like this until she died. Amy and I took it hard, but Michael somehow took it harder. I always felt like he had this secret that both mom and Lee knew about. Mom was the only one he could talk to freely. He had lots of problems, you know. He was a little shorter and grumpier than others but he was also kinder. He got hurt a bunch of times. He was bullied and had a learning disorder. But he wanted to go to College at School of the Arts. Mom was his only hope. Especially to comforting him when Stuart got carried away. But with mom out of the way, Stuart created Pandemonium. There was no one to hold back either. Our stepfather started abusing Michael first verbally, then emotionally. He got physical a few times and Michael’s world had crashed. He’d started caring less and letting things go. He was always crying when he thought no one was watching and didn’t trust any adult under any circumstance. He’d created this wall so that no one could get in. It got to the point where he only talked to me and Amy. Then one day I got what the big secret was. I saw Michael kissing this guy, his name was Malcolm. They were making out against the door and Michael kept crying and Malcolm held him. Michael wanted to come out and he did at school. But when he told Stuart, I was sent to the other room. I sneaked out and eavesdropped and heard some curse words I’d never even known of. The things he said to Michael. No human being should ever have to hear those thing said to them. He kept cursing at Michael and started betting the shit out of him. Michael couldn’t even fight back, he was miserable. I’ll never forget what I saw through the door’s keyhole. What I heard. I was 13 and I didn’t even know things like that ever happened. I kept wising my mom would come and save the day. After a couple of more offensive slurs, they headed to the door and I bolted to my room. Stuart kept screaming that he wanted Michael out by morning. Michael came into my room since it was the only way to his. I acted like I was asleep and he stopped by my bed. He said he knew I was awake and he apologized that he ruined my childhood with what I’d seen that night. I opened my eyes and I saw Michael covered in blood. His eye was swollen, his nose and lip bleeding and his face was red and bloody. He looked like he was crying and tears flowed out. He sat next to my bed barely and told me that I should never give up. He told me that I wasn’t a quitter and that no matter what the world tells me, I mustn’t fall into their trap. I should never have to endure their reality. It was a quote from Saving Mr Banks. He knew I loved that movie and the father daughter relationship there was a lot like Michael and me. I started crying as I saw his bashed bruised and bloody face. He kissed my forehead goodnight. He told me it was too much for him, that I wasn’t to blame for anything. He told me he loved me and went to his room. I didn’t have the courage to go look at night, but in the morning I found Michael had hung himself on the drape rack and with his art supplies he’d written “I QUIT” on the wall. I’d never been more scared my entire life. I screamed and I cried and I had a panic attack and I blacked out. Ever since, I was obsessed with the idea to prove that I am straight. I wanted to have anyone’s life but Michael’s. I was scared all the time by everything, especially my stepdad since he started to take out his frustration and his former Michael bashings on me. I’d gotten the prettiest but most awful hearted girl in school and dated her. I lost my virginity to her, hoping it would prove that I am not queer. I tried to get into Varsity and sports and be a guy’s guy. “Masculine”. I was in so much denial until I talked to Malcolm. He told me about Michael and about being gay. He told me that coming out wasn’t nearly as painful as hiding. That’s when I realized that I really was to blame for Michael. I never took the time to know about his love life. I never tried to tell him I was there whenever he got himself drunk to feel numb. He had the whole world’s judgement on his shoulder and I had tried antagonizing him by trying to hate the idea of being gay. I didn’t kill Michael, but I wasn’t the one who helped him live either. I still had my doubts until I visited a local church where the priest was gay. I got to see perspectives of different people if it was okay for me to like guys just as much as girls. When I accepted the fact that I was bi, I moved away from Stuart and started college. Amy is still there with him. I don’t trust Stuart with a pair of shoes, let alone the only family I got left. I don’t want Amy to go through what Michael did. Malcolm still keeps contact with me and he’s the one who is helping me financially so I can take Amy and live far away from that maniac. Far from where everything ended. That’s why I was crying that night at the party. I saw Malcolm at the party, I got drunk and usually when I get drunk I get flashbacks of stuff. I kept seeing Michael kissing Malcolm and then his face near my bed. Then I saw Michael dangling from the ceiling, dead. I saw my mom hugging Michael and Lee coughing up blood as he talked to Michael. My psychiatrist said that a drunk state can trigger deep buried memories we try to hide. Since I don’t get much outlet other than church and studies. When I started crying and seeing those things, I felt myself blacking out so I ran for the bathroom to force myself to gag out the booze but I collapsed in the tub and kept crying. When I heard somebody next to the toilet, I don’t even know why, but I grabbed them in with me so that I didn’t feel like I was alone watching those things. I had you even when I didn’t know you. I just really needed a hug I guess’.  
Nico didn’t say anything. He didn’t start to coo and apologize.  
He just took Will’s head and Hugged it in his chest.  
Will tried to laugh it off, but felt tears well up in his eyes.  
Nico was used to pain. He’d been born with it. He had a strong and aggressive nature that kept him alive.  
But Will wasn’t a teeth gritter. He wasn’t the type to build walls or get mad or challenge things.  
He was soft as a feather and bruised like a peach. He hurt deep because he cared most.  
Will let silent tears fall as he gripped Nico’s body and let Nico envelop him in his hug and rock him saying ‘You’re right, Will. You got me. And as long as you got me, I’ll make sure you’re never ever alone or afraid. Nobody is ever going to make you feel like shit for being who you are. And you are going to love Bianca. And I am going to love Lee and Michael. We are going to share our pain and we are going to live through it, together’.  
‘I love you, Nico’ choked Will.  
‘I love you Will’ smiled Nico peacefully.  
Life gives them lemons. So they threw the lemons away and went to the store to get chocolate milk instead.  
Will and Nico liked the arrangement they came up with before they sneaked into Nico’s apartment.  
Life wasn’t fair to them. And they had it hard. But they didn’t need medicine. They didn’t need therapy or drugs or cigarettes or the prettiest girl in high school.   
They didn’t need something to fix them.   
They fixed each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idk why but Annabeth always struck me as the kind of person who used to cuts. Cuz Athena even though smart was very insecure. I think Annabeth would have a level of insecurity that she'd harm herself till percy changes her life and vise versa. And I hate how little times Lee appears in fanfics its shocking. Btw I wish I had a bf like WIll :') or Nico :') <3 Plz dont forget to comment, share your thoughts on their backstories and tell me if there smth specific ud like to see. I love u all <3


	12. Lesbians and and phones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys Im rlly sorry for being late but I started high school and I thank the 11th chapter commanter for that amazing comment, it helps :) This chapter is probably my worst but the next is going to be 50 time better I promise. Thanks for following :) <3 plz comment

In the past month, there were several cases when Nico didn’t wake up comfortably. He’d either slept in a tub or slept with ass pain.  
Today wasn’t one of those days.  
Opening your eyes to the smell of your lover’s T-shirt next to you is a pretty sweet deal.  
Nico glanced at his night stand’s alarm clock blinking 11:31.  
He sighed and blinked around, impossible for him to stop his face from grinning.  
He’d lost his virginity and shared the most intimate secrets of his entire life to Will.  
It felt so unrealistic.  
So not-Nico.  
So great.  
Nico started giggling. Nico!  
Things were falling into place.  
They were calm. Nico didn’t feel like shit inside when he looked at himself in the mirror.   
All he saw was a little boy, smiling, thanking him for finally giving him what he deserves. Happiness.  
About time, he thought.  
Then he got a wave of dread at the sudden realization of Murphy’s law.  
What if this, whatever this feeling is, doesn’t last until one more hour?  
What is something happens to ruin this?  
Nico put a pillow on his face. Why did he have to be so perceptive about every fucking detail?!  
Why couldn’t he just be a dumb happy person?  
Being an overthinking author sucked.  
His train of cheerful thoughts was interrupted when he heard a knowck on the door.  
‘Neeks, can I come in?’ asked Jason’s voice.  
Nico was fully clothed so why not ‘Okay’.  
Then he realized he was clutching Will’s T-shirt and threw it behind his headboard before Jason could open the door.  
‘Nico we’re having breakfast—What was that?’ asked Jason, pointing at Nico’s headboard.  
Nico tried to look innocent ‘What was what?’  
‘That’ Jason pointed again ‘Was that… Awww that was Will’s stuff wasn’t it?’  
‘Like you have room to talk, father-to-be’ winked Nico.  
Jason blushed scratching the back of his neck ‘Hahaha, yep’.  
‘How’re you feeling?’ asked Nico.  
‘Well,’ Jason closed the door behind him and sat beside Nico’s bed ‘I won’t deny I was freaked at first’.  
‘Freaked?!’ Nico laughed ‘Jason, your jaw literally dropped and cracked the floor in half’.  
Jason rolled his eyes ‘I’m just…happy, I guess. I love Piper. I’ve loved her since 4th grade. And I plan to spend the rest of my life with her. Having a kid is a little hug and soon and probably expensive for our standards, but I’ll manage for Pipes’.  
Nico smiled ‘You’re still shaking though’.  
Jason chuckled as he stared at his wriggling fingers ‘I-I guess I’m just…scared. I don’t want to ruin the kid’s life. I’m just scared that I’ll ruin it’s life. That I’ll turn into my dad. What if I’m like the type of dad that tries to do things right but turns out to fuck things up worse? Is Piper ready for that? Is the kid ready for that?’  
Nico rolled his eyes ‘Jase, you’re already my father, Leo’s father and now you’re about to become a father again. You’re not a first time dad. You’ve always been the paternal one. If anything, your kid will turn out way too happy and sane. I already envy it’.  
Jason grinned ‘Awww Neeks, don’t worry’ Jason hugged Nico’s head cooing ‘I’ll always be your dad, I’ll love you both equally’.  
Nico snickered and pushed Jason off ‘Fuck off, daddy sap’.  
Jason had a few more laughs then turned to Nico ‘You coming for some pick-up waffles Leo brought back on his way home from work?’  
‘Wait, did he buyt them at work, or on the way?’ asked Nico suspiciously.  
‘On the way’ confirmed Jason.  
‘I’m in’.  
Jason laughed.  
Nico stood up on his elbows and throwing off the covers, he winced and collapsed back on the bed.  
Jason knitted his eyebrows ‘What’s wrong?’  
Nico didn’t want to tell him. It was his and Will’s moment.  
‘I ummm I-I fell! Yeah, that’s right, I fell bad. You know how sneaky stairs can be. One minute they’re right in front of your foot the next they’re ummm not?’  
Needless to say, Nico was a terrible liar.  
‘You’re a terrible liar’ said Jason.  
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about’ Nico looked away, his face a sheet of pink.  
Jason scrunched up his nose and thought for a few seconds.   
When he connected the dots, he silent gasped covering his mouth ‘Don’t tell me you…’  
Nico growled.  
Jason’s eyes widened ‘By God, you DID!’  
‘Would you keep it down? I don’t think our landlady in her vacation suite in Hawaii heard you!’ groaned Nico.  
‘Wait, I wanna hear EVERYTHING. Wait, which one was on top?’ asked Jason, eyes filled with glee.  
‘I can barely move out of my bed, who do you think?!’ Nico spat.  
Jason almost squealed in a fangirlish moment.

Then he got all rocky stern ‘That bastard, he’s deflowered you!’  
Nico grinned ‘I think “deflower” would count as an understatement. Besides, Will’s my boyfriend. He can do anything he wants and you can’t do anything about it’.  
‘NEVER!’ shouted Jason waving his left hand in defiance.  
‘Chill, Captain Hook. Can we just focus on me eating breakfast for now? I’m starving’.  
Jason cut the act and took Nico’s arm around his neck.  
In the living room, Leo was tampering with the microwave while Piper was lying on the couch in her pyjamas reading “New Mom” magazine with a PB and J plate on her tummy.  
Nico leaned in Jason’s ear and hissed ‘Not a word about me and Will’.  
Jason laughed.  
‘Morning!’ smiled Piper and got up from the couch stretching and putting the PB and J plate on the coffeetable ‘Jeez, Nico. What happened to YOU?’  
‘I had a little accident’ he lied.  
‘Enjoyable accident’ coughed Will and Nico gave him a dirty look.  
‘Well, worry no more. I got just the thing for you my friend!’ announced Leo, presenting the microwave in his hands.  
Jason sat Nico down on the bar stool with Nico saying ‘And how is a microwave that you messed with going to help with my walking?’  
Leo ignored the “that you messed with” part and proceeded ‘Well my mobility challenged friend,’ They all rolled their eyes ‘You press the bottom at the top, coordinate the temperature you want aaaaand’ the microwave started shaking and it looked like it was about to do something, until it busted into black smoke.  
Leo coughed and shooed the fog away ‘Still needs a few adjustments until I patent is’.  
‘Riiiiiight’ Nico turned to the side of the living room.  
Jason had kneeled beside the floor of the couch, kissing Piper’s tummy and Piper petted Jason softly.  
Nico just smiled.  
‘Ok Nico, you’ve been smiling for almost a whole month, what the ef is wrong with you, man?!’ asked Leo, checking Nico’s forehead temperature.  
Nico shoved Leo’s hand away ‘Get you greasy hands off my, Valdez’.  
‘Aaaaaaand he’s back’ said Leo moving away to redestroy the microwave for the 4th time since 7 am.  
Nico ate a plateful of waffles in silence but harmony.  
The day went by slow.  
Will was at his part-time jobs. That’s right. Job-s.  
Only now had Nico noticed how tired and mentally spent Will was during weekends.  
Nico hated to put it this way, but Will really was very poor.  
Nico noticed how Will tried his best to hide this, like if they went to a nice diner or window shopping or even in Starbucks, Will spent a lot of money just because Nico was used to fancy rich places.  
McDonalds was a goldmine. And Nico had just remembered that he told Will this morning to buy pick-up at McDonalds.  
Basically, the poor blonde is buying not one, but TWO meals for the spoiled rich Italian boy.  
Happy meals.  
Oh, the irony.  
Nico sighed ‘Jason, I’m sorry to interrupt you and your unborn child’s moment, but could you do me a favour?’  
Jason looked up ‘Oh, sure. What’s up?’  
‘Will, is getting pick-up McDonalds for lunch today. He said he was okay with it, but I wanna treat since I’m becoming an uncle. Could you go with him to McDonalds and get everybody something?’ Nico pulled out 200$ out of his wallet and handed them to Jason.  
Jason smiled ‘What do you guys want?’  
‘Chicken sandwich’ said Leo.  
‘Happy Meal cheeseburger’ said Nico.  
‘A double quarter soy pounder with cheese and a big tofu mac’ said Piper.  
They all stared at her.  
‘What?’ she shrugged ‘I’m pregnant, I can eat all I want’.  
Jason giggled and kissed the top of Piper’s head ‘Anything you want, sweetie’.  
Jason took the car keys from the coffee table bowl and waved as he went out ‘Be here with Will in an hour’.  
‘Hey no fair’ whined Leo ‘I didn’t get a goodbye kiss’.  
Piper rolled her eyes and went back to her magazine, feet on the table.  
As Nico turned to finish his orange juice, he was met with a puff of black smoke to his face.  
He turned to Leo who was grinning innocently and praying silently ‘Oops?’  
‘I’ said Nico calmly smiling ‘am going to KILL you’.  
It’s right about then that Leo runs for his dear life.  
***  
Will was in the diner’s restroom, changing clothes.  
His uniform’s got stains because of a couple of teenage customers today.  
Will slung his backpack on his shoulder and went off home in Cecil’s car.  
When he arrived in his apartment, he plopped on the couch, exhausted.  
He dug his pocket to count the tips he made today and if they’d be enough to pick up food for Nico and him.  
5$ for the rest of the month. Perfect.  
He collapsed his head on the couch’s head.  
Then he heard a knock on the door.  
A voice spoke ‘Will, you there? It’s Jason’.  
‘It’s open’ answered Will.  
Jason walked in with a huge grin on his face.  
‘Hey there, lover boy’ cooed Jason.  
Will laughed ‘I usually do by “Sunshine” or “doofus” but “lover boy” works too’.  
‘Don’t get cute with me’ said Jason ‘You think I wouldn’t bug Nico to the truth when I see him limp?’  
Will smiled innocently ‘Oops?’  
Jason chuckled.  
‘You’re not gonna beat me up…are you?’ asked Will, scooting at the edge of the couch.  
Jason smiled ‘Nah. I just need to know one thing’.  
He faced Will and Will looked pretty nervous ‘You and Nico. Are you serious about him? Or are you just trying to have a College experience? Because let me tell you Will, Nico’s had it tough. He doesn’t need any more heartbreak. He’s my little brother and I want him to be happy. If you hurt him right when he’s opening up, he’ll never get over it. So which is it?’  
Will looked straight at Jason ‘Jason. I know. Nico told me everything about him. About his problems. And no, I’m not using him to have a College Experience, Jason. I LOVE Nico more than anything in this world. He’s my life now. The last thing I would ever do to him is hurt him when he’s finally begun to let himself be happy. He means everything to me’.  
Jason nodded approvingly ‘Good. The only thing left is not to make him limp for a whole day or I’ll put you in a wheelchair forever’.  
Will giggled ‘You got it’.  
‘Oh also, before I forget’ said Will ‘We’re getting McDonalds for everyone’.  
Will felt horrible and embarrassed. How could 5 dollars cover 5 people?  
‘Ok’ he said dreadfully ‘Let me go find my wallet’.  
Dig my savings more like, thought Will.  
Jason shook his head ‘Don’t worry about it. It’s Nico’s treat’.  
Will relaxed. He smiled.  
He walked out the door thinking, Nico’s gonna get soooo lucky.  
***  
When Jason and Will got back, they were surprised to find two other girls sitting on the couch, their hands pressed on Piper’s tummy.  
The girl on Piper’s right had short black hair, goth accessories, black lips and a freckled facefollowed with electric blue eyes.  
The girl on Piper’s left had light red hair with purple dyed strands, caramel skin and warm green eyes.  
‘Hey! What are you guys doing here?’ asked Jason excitedly and kissed both girls on the cheek.  
Will leaned at the counter and kissed Nico lightly on the lips.  
‘I missed you’ said Will.  
‘Fucking sap’ murmured Nico.  
Will giggled and held Nico’s head on his shoulder.  
‘We were in Chicago on our American tour but when Piper called and told us the good news, we HAD to come here immediately’ said the goth girl excitedly.  
‘Who are they?’ asked Will silently.  
‘The goth girl is Jason’s sister, Thalia. And that’s her girlfriend, Artemis’ pointed Nico.  
Will remembered those names. Bianca’s friends.  
He glanced at Nico in confirmation.  
Nico seemed to understand the silent question and nodded.  
They were a funny couple.

Artemis was calm and poised like Chinese tea with a lot of character but could be deadly, while Thalia was explosive and energetic like an energy bar.  
‘I want one someday’ said Artemis, caressing Piper’s tummy and bumping her finger’s with Thalia’s.  
Thalia smiled and kissed Artemis’s temple ‘Whenever you’re up for it, sweetie’.  
Everyone stared at the couple getting all cuddly when Artemis said ‘You know, she’s usually not this nice, she just doesn’t want to scare you all’.  
Thalia cleared her throat ‘I’m right here’.  
Artemis winked ‘I know’.  
They all had a laugh as Thalia stuck her tongue out at Artemis.  
‘Have you decided on a baby name?’ asked Thalia.  
‘Thalia’ said Jason ‘This is her second DAY’.  
She shrugged ‘Still’.  
Jason raised his McDonalds bags ‘Will and I came back from McDonalds, do you two want something?’  
‘They can just have Leo’s share, he got an emergency call at the repair shop. Something about a leaking motor and the boss getting his hair cut’ said Piper, raising her hands childishly for food.  
It made Jason laugh as he handed her pregnant girlfriend’s lunch and handed out the rest.  
As they all sunk their teeth in burgers and salads, Artemis pointed at Will ‘Ok, so I know most of you guys but I haven’t seen this one before’.  
‘Oh’ Will rubbed the back of his neck ‘I’m Will Solace. Nico’s--’  
‘Boyfriend’ finished Nico, lacing his fingers with Will’s ‘Will is my boyfriend’.  
Will turned and grinned at Nico.  
Nico blushed and looked away ‘Oh, wipe that goofy grin off your face, you fugly sap’.  
Will just smiled his goofy smile and kissed Nico’s cheek ‘I love you too’.  
‘You guys are cute’ said Thalia ‘I’m Thalia, Jason’s big sis. And this’ she points at Artemis ‘is MY girlfriend, Artemis’.  
Artemis waved ‘Hi’.  
‘Nice to meet you’ nodded Will friendly.  
‘So guys’ asked Nico munching on his Happy Meal ‘Are you guys staying in New York?’  
‘Oh, we’re leaving today. We just wanted to see you guys before we head for the UK’ said Artemis.  
‘The UK? Are you guys taking a vacation?’ asked Will.  
Both girls laughed.  
‘Thalia and Artemis are part of a Feminist group called “The Hunters of Artemis” which Artemis created back in High School. It’s basically traveling the world supporting women rights and they have lesbian or asexual recruits join all around’ explained Jason.  
‘We’d recruit you’ said Thalia ‘but it’s a girls only. Sorry’.  
Will laughed ‘That’s too bad, I was shaking to join’.  
‘We tried to get Piper, Hazel and Annabeth into it, but they just had to have these useless guys in their lives’ sighed Thalia.  
‘Sometimes I think you let me eat that stapler on purpose so I’d die’ says Jason miserably.  
Will gasped ‘What?! You ate a stapler?’  
Nico chortled ‘He TRIED to’.  
As Nico got up to go to the bathroom when he almost collapsed.  
Will caught him though and held him in a hug.  
Piper studied both guys.  
‘YOU GUYS HAD SEX!’ she shouted.  
‘NO WE DIDN’T!’ they both protested.  
‘Of course you did’ said Piper ‘It makes perfect sense. Nico’s hips hurt, you both look happy and chipper which only means you got some!’  
‘N-n-no, that’s not true!’ said Will barely.  
‘Oh really? Why is Nico limping then, huh?’ asked Piper, arms crossed and an anticipating grin on her face.  
‘T-t-that’s because N-Nico and I were on the Empire State building when Nico fell’  
‘So Nico’s hips are limping because he fell from the Empire State building?’  
Will nodded.  
Nico looked at Will with a sceptical glare ‘You’re a moron’.  
‘Yes’ admitted Will ‘But I’m YOUR moron’.  
‘Don’t remind me’ groaned Nico.  
‘Awww male gay sex is so hot’ voiced Thalia.  
‘This isn’t happening’ said Nico.  
Then they heard a verse of “Fix You” by Coldplay.  
Will’s pocket was vibrating.  
He took out his IPhone 4 with a chipped screen and swung the green call button.  
‘Excuse me’ he told everyone and walked toward the hallway.  
When he saw Will’s face go through several emotions, Nico limped towards him.  
‘Wow-wow-wow, Amy calm down! From the top, what’s wrong?’ said Will closing his other earhole to hear better.  
Nico put a hand on Will’s shoulder and Will held it while listening.  
‘I’ll be there in 2 minutes’ said Will and shoved the phone in his pocket.  
Will sprinted to the living room and offered a fast hand to the lesbian couple.  
‘I’m sorry but I have to leave, it’s urgent. Have a great time in the UK. It was really nice meeting you both’ he said kindly.  
Artemis smiled ‘You too, honey. Just take care of Nico’.  
Will nodded ‘Happy to’.  
He walked to the hallway where Nico was waiting.  
‘It’s Amy. She’s having a problem with that retarded bastard but she wouldn’t tell me what. I know I told you we were going to spend the day together but this really is urgent. I’m sorry, I feel terrible’ said Will holding Nico’s hands.  
Nico kissed Will’s lips ‘Will, I understand. Really. She needs you. Call me later and tell me how it went’.  
Will smiled warmly ‘You’re amazing’ he kissed Nico one more time.  
A sort passionate kiss and he flew off.  
‘Need some help?’ Jason offered an arm to Nico.  
Nico nodded ‘Thanks’.  
As he was dragged into the room, his phone rang.  
‘Oh come ON, what is it, interrupting phone calls day?’ growled Nico and opened the phone without checking the name.  
‘Nico?’ it was Hazel’s voice.  
‘Haz, what’s up’ asked Nico.  
Hazel paused for a sec, probably finding Nico’s casual attitude uncharacteristic of him but went on.  
‘Don’t get mad at me, but dad called and asked me about me and you’.  
Uh-oh. Nico knew what was coming.  
‘He asked me if there was anyone you were seeing and I mentioned Will’.  
‘HAZEL!’  
‘That’s not even the best part…’ Hazel gulped.  
‘What’s the best part?’ asked Nico, anger bubbling inside.  
‘He’s told me to invite you and Will home’ said Hazel in one breath.  
‘Home, what ho—HOME?! YOU MEAN OUR OLD HOUSE HOME?!’ yelled Nico.  
Hazel managed a ‘Mhm…’  
‘NO! There’s no way! Never! I’m not going back to that fucking shoebox if my life depended on it!’  
‘How about your budget?’ said Hazel miserably.  
‘What?!’ asked Nico.  
‘Dad said that if you said no, he’d freeze your funds and you wouldn’t be able to pay for college’.  
Nico was stuck.  
He wasn’t Will. He wasn’t used to swing it by himself. He wasn’t used with getting part-time jobs and having no finance for himself.  
He was pathetic. And now he had to go back to the last place he’d enter on earth to save his McDonalds craving ass.  
‘I love you’ Nico told Hazel and hung up the phone.  
‘What’s up?’ asked Jason.  
‘Remember that hellhole I used to live in where my whole life shit is directed and haunted on where the man who ruined my life, who I hate most in this world lives in?’ asked Nico politely.  
Jason looked confused ‘Yeah?’  
‘Well’ said Nico with a mock cheerful smile ‘I’m going for a little visit there with Will. Yippicay fucking yay!’


	13. For and Fail both start with an F

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO sorry for being so late with this its just high school just started (and its going inhumanly well), karate tournaments Im in, I had a comic book drawing competition I hope I won, writing some original work I plan to publish next year and making an Acapella group at school. You do the math. The Poem Nico writes here is smth I wrote when I had some problems and it was one of the worst lowest moments ever. I had some issues which are now being combed over :D I hope you guys enjoy this <3

Having to visit the person you hate most in the world wasn’t exactly ideal, but the sex sure made it easier.  
Nico had been built up in stress.   
His finals were coming, he had to write a thesis explaining his version of the definition of love.  
Piper was miserable with morning sickness and the simultaneous craving and hate for meat.  
Will was doing his best to get custody of Amy but he didn’t have enough money to take Suart to court.  
Nico offered to pay like a zillion times, but Will refused saying he wouldn’t feel right about it.  
Stuff were dancing all over the place, trying to suffocate Nico like a pillow with the words “Priorities” on it.  
Nico still wanted to help Will take Amy away from the fucker, so Nico needed the money his dad’s wallet spat out so if Nico and Will ever got a place together, Will would then agree to use Nico’s money to go to court and gain custody of Amy.  
Things still sucked though.  
They were tiresome, so sex with Will was very relaxing.  
Will was very annoyingly gentle with Nico, like if he went too rough he’d snap Nico like a twig.  
But Nico had figured out how to loosen Will’s brains and get his penis on the driver’s seat.  
Sweet nothings, or as Nico likes to call them, dirty nothings to Will’s ear made Will weak in the knees.  
Two or three sentences about what Nico wanted Will to do to him, and Will lost all rationality and just went in hard and good.  
It was kind of interesting.  
Male gay sex wasn’t something either boy was familiar to.  
They explored the physical part of their relationship and managed to soothe each other.  
Nico had spent 4 of his high school years overhearing guys at the showers after PE talking about how good it felt to have sex and Nico knew nothing of the feeling.  
Well not nothing, he had a right hand for a reason.  
But physical intimacy was foreign to him.  
Will wasn’t foreign though. He was here. He was his.  
And they were perfectly aware and synchronized with each other’s weak spots and turn on’s.  
Plus the fact that they’d shared intimate secrets helped them feel more relaxed around each other.  
Like both their bodies and souls were naked, and none felt like hiding.  
It was perfect.  
Ish.  
While the sex was, good—AMAZING, there was still the matter of going back.  
Going back to the house where he’d heard about the bombing at the youth centre, the place where he’d held Bianca’s last present to him, the place where he came to hide his cigarettes or to wipe his bloody nose and bruised stomach.  
In the same house where he and his father had had some pretty intense moments.  
That’s what Nico’s life was made up of.  
Moments.  
Good. Bad. It wouldn’t matter. They were all little collisions that painted themselves on Nico’s entire misery and it was those little moments that made Nico frame his home in his mind as hell on earth.  
His haunted house.  
But he needed the money. He didn’t want Amy to end up with the same fate Michael did. It would kill Will.  
So Nico had to do what he had to do.  
Face his past, as cheesy as it was.  
And worst of all, face his father.  
The man he’s loathed and not seen in almost a full year.  
Nico knew that he will want to punch him as soon as he’ll see him.  
It was going to be a LONG weekend.  
But the highlight was that Will was going to be beside him.  
Nico had faced a hard life and he never had anyone to hold his hand along the way.  
Now he had and it was so wonderful Nico almost didn’t dread going back home. Almost.  
Currently though, Nico was banging his head against the Airport’s bathroom.  
‘I hope we crash’ he groaned.  
Will smiled and detached Nico’s forehead from the wall and kissed it ‘Baby, we don’t have to go if you don’t want to. I can call Cecil, have him pick us up and drive us back to your apartment, sound good?’  
Obviously Nico hadn’t told Will that his father had put Nico’s payment on the line or that Nico planned on using that payment to finance Will into winning custody.  
He had to do it for Will.  
‘No’ Nico shook his head ‘I have to do this. I’m sick of running’.  
Will grinned and hugged Nico.  
Nico dug his head into Will’s sweater, it smelled of cologne and shampoo.  
Yep, Will was perfect.  
‘Thanks’ muttered Nico, his head still dug inside Will’s chest ‘it really means a lot that you’re here. I don’t think I could ever do this by myself’.  
‘I’m here for ya, babe. Anything you choose’ Will kissed Nico and they headed out of the bathroom to find the plane.  
Nico didn’t like planes. But then again, Nico didn’t like many things.  
Quite opposite of Will. Even about planes.  
Will kept staring out the window, jumping around his seat and acting like a child on a trip to Disneyland.  
You’re going to Disneyland’s opposite, thought Nico chuckling bitterly.  
Frank and Hazel couldn’t make it this weekened since they were invited to Frank’s dad so Nico’s main focus and baby to chaperone was Will.  
The trip was exhausting and uncomfortable. A great start.  
After about two hours of distraction chat Will tried to suck Nico in, they just held hands and stood quietly anticipating their trip.  
‘So’ said Nico ‘Is Amy better?’  
Will’s smile dropped and Nico cursed himself for being the one to cause it.  
Will shifted in his chair ‘She’s ok. Stuart was kind of drunk and she got a little scared that he’ll get carried away like he used to with Michael. She’s at my place for today. I told Stuart she wanted to spend the weekend with me’.  
‘Will, this doesn’t have to be like this if you would just let me--’  
Will groaned ‘Is that charity I smell?’  
Nico raised an eyebrow.  
Will sighed ‘Neeks, I don’t want to get into that again. Please, let’s just focus on your misery this week and we will talk about this after, ok?’  
‘Fine’.  
Will smiled ‘So, any tips about approaching your dad and stepmom?’  
Nico snorted ‘Sure. Persephone: don’t drop the soap in the shower. And my dad: don’t even bother’.  
Will pouted ‘I wish you didn’t have to do this. I hate seeing you this tense’.  
Nico leaned his head on Will’s shoulder ‘Me too. But that’s not the way life works. I can’t just wrap my shit in a pretty green box with a shiny red bow on top. I HAVE to do this’.  
Will kept petting Nico’s overgrown hair across his neck and holding his hand.  
Nico told Will he had to do this.   
But what made Nico feel guilty was that he wasn’t doing it to face his past, he was doing it to mend Will’s future.  
And sadly, they didn’t crash.  
Upon landing, Nico and Will got on a cab headed for that place.  
Along the road, Nico leaned his head on the car window, looking at the view.  
He could make out the roads he used to play in with Bianca or got to get gelato with his mom.  
He also saw a couple of diners where Jason and the rest would drag him to and force feed him a decent meal.  
He pointed out these places to Will from time to time, leaving out the places where he’d been beaten up on or where he’d hide to get high and drunk.  
It wasn’t something your doctor-to-be boyfriend wants to hear.  
As they got closer and closer Nico seemed to be getting tenser and tenser.  
He didn’t realise his hands were shaking until Will took them in his big warm soft ones.  
Nico looked into Will’s usual perfect blue eyes and relaxed for 2 minutes.  
Then the car pulled over and Nico almost threw up.  
They were both standing in front of a big old grey painted house with closed bared windows and a very gloomy disposition.  
Nico angrily threw a roll of bucks to the driver and got out carefully as if the ground on the sidewalk was made of lava.  
Will winced. It pained him to see Nico like this.  
If he had a problem even getting on the sidewalk, who knows how difficult it is for him to meet his dad again?  
Nico bit his lip as he stared at the doorbell.  
For Will.  
Nico really didn’t want to see his dad on the doorstep, so he turned on the knob himself.  
He looked down at the doorstep, breathed in and took a step inside.  
It felt electric. Like his body zapped in a phantom pain.  
This is where he’d picked up the Mythomagic figurine.  
This is where he first realized he was alone.  
Will took his hand once again and held it as tightly and warmly as possible.  
Nico almost thought he had a chance.  
Then he saw him.  
Hades di Angelo looked like a vampire with class.  
He had black neck length hair gelled smoothly and a perfectly trimmed goatee.  
He had porcelain skin and held a scotch on the rocks in his hand.  
His eyes were charcoal black, not at all like Nico’s.  
They were hard, broken, sure, but they were also desperate.  
Nico at least had his inner pride that made him keep his chin up and scratch at life with all his might.  
Hades di Angelo looked serious, but he also looked beaten down and desperate to make amends.  
Will could feel Nico’s hand tighten and Nico unintentionally dug his nails into Will’s palm.  
Will didn’t complain.  
Will glanced around the hallway of the house.  
The stairs were lined at the left side while the right side was preoccupied as the living room.  
Everywhere you looked, there were photos of the di Angelo household.  
The staircase was accompanied by a line of picture frames where Maria di Angelo stood either smiling or looking epic with her basketball tee and back flipped cap holding a soccer ball and doing the peace sign.  
Bianca was there too, followed by three other girls adjoining her.  
Will recognized Thalia and Artemis, they looked so young though.  
He saw another ebony haired girl. Zoe Nightshade.  
This house was ridiculous. It was like a museum of pain.  
‘Nico’ said Hades, somewhat giving that almost-smile Nico does.  
Nico exhaled and his eyes were tinted in hate ‘Father’.  
Hades stretched out his hand in a shake.  
‘This is Will’ said Nico quickly, clearly avoiding Hades’s hand.  
Hades curled back his fingers.  
Will didn’t really know what to do.  
His boyfriend wanted to degrade his father, but then again Will had to leave a good impression so Nico could face his past.  
Will just rolled the dice and smiled ‘An honour to meet you, sir’.  
Hades narrowed his eyes and examined Will like he was radioactive waste ‘Yes, of course’.  
He turned back to Nico and examined him ‘You’ve grown’.  
‘Yeah, that usually happens when people age’ said Nico.  
Hades sighed ‘Nico, I want to--’  
‘So is dinner ready or what?’ asked Nico dragging Will to the dining room.  
‘Oh god’ moaned Nico when he saw Persephone and Demeter sitting at the table.  
Persephone was standing still on the table as if there was a wooden board taped on her back and played with her food bored while Demeter was yelling a conversation at her daughter holding a champagne glass on her hand.  
She stopped and turned her head, scowling and rolling her eyes ‘It’s the gay one’.  
By now Nico was clenching his fists, willing himself not to lose it.  
Persephone looked up from her food, sighed and went back to attacking the broccoli with her fork.  
Will dragged Nico to sit down on the table.  
Will felt super shy and awkward but he started ‘Umm w-well, hi there. My name is Will Solace. I’m Nico’s boyfriend’.  
Demeter didn’t even bother to reply.  
Persephone just pouted looking up from her food ‘Mother I’m bored’.  
Demeter made an annoyed face ‘HADES! Get back in here! The food is getting cold’.  
And sure enough, a very irritated Hades walked back into the room fake smiling and sitting down.  
The moment was painfully quiet.  
Nobody knew exactly what to say.  
Hades kind of saved the day though.  
‘I am glad to see that we are all gathered here today for a family dinner. It delights me further that Nico is here with us, and Wesley’.  
‘It’s Will’ said Will.  
Hades waved the correction off as if it were a spray aimed at his gel hair and went on ‘I am glad we are able to bond as a family this weekend and I do thank Lady Demeter for this lovely meal’.  
‘Can we just skip to eating, Hades? Your speech is so boringly long I think my garden died and got reborn’.  
Will winced at the awful joke.  
‘Of course’ said Hades begrudgingly ‘Let’s eat’.  
The food really was tasty.   
It was an organic themed menu thanks to Demeter’s strict diet.  
Nico wasn’t eating though.  
He looked pale and demotivated…Well, at least more than usual.  
Will wished he could lean and give his love a supportive hug but the way Demeter and Persephone seemed to stare at Will like he was wearing a seeing eye dog jacket, Will decided he could give Nico a hug later.  
‘So Nico’ started Hades trying to sound casual ‘How is university?’  
‘Fine’ said Nico.  
‘Are you eating and sleeping well?’  
‘I am making sure of that, sir’ attempted Will cheerfully.  
Hades gave Will a look, like “don’t push it, sunny queer”.  
‘Is that before or after you hit the clubs?’ asked Persephone.  
‘Clubs?’ asked Will.  
‘Well, you look like the type who would frequent one rather than have one duck in your pond’.  
‘What is that supposed to mean?’ shot back Nico.  
‘Nothing really. Just, you know, he seems too good to be--’  
‘Mine?’ growled Nico.  
Persephone smiled ‘I was going for “true”’.  
Nico almost spat in anger ‘Sure you were’.  
‘I mean Nico preferring boys is one thing, but a golden nugget like you? Kind of QUEER, if you catch my drift’ winked Demeter.  
Nico opened his mouth, doing his “I’m going to curse shamelessly” face, so Will quickly cleared his throat ‘Nico is the only person I need in my life. Without him’ Will looked at a slightly smiling Nico and held his hand ‘Without him life would be hollow’.  
Demeter chuckled while Persephone made a gagging sound.  
‘What’s so funn?’ asked Nico.  
‘Oh you know’ said Demeter ‘How naiive everyone is before they understand what being in a relationship truly means. It’s not glamorous or beautiful. Sometimes it can be the hardest job on the planet, that’s why I don’t talk to Persephone’s father anymore’.  
‘Did you two end things badly?’ asked Will, actually curious.  
Demeter made a disgusted face ‘You could say that. The pig didn’t even fuss over it. Zeus Grace can be a real asshole’.  
Grace? Mouthed Will to Nico.  
Jason’s dad mouthed Nico back and Will nodded surprised.  
‘Well it’s nothing compared to the luck my daughter has with men’ Demeter and Hades had a death glare match which was surprisingly interesting.  
‘And it starts’ growled Hades.  
While Demeter and Hades went into a bickering match, with Persephone checking her IPhone 5 for updates, Will stood from the chair.  
‘May I use the bathroom? Can you show me Nico?’  
Will grabbed Nico off his chair and sped them off away from the intensity.  
When Will entered a way too fancy bathroom, Nico turned around, face in hands.   
‘Will, I am really sorry. I don’t wanna be like this. They’re complete bitches and I can’t take it, I’m just GAHH’.  
‘Hey, hey, hey’ Will held Nico’s face ‘Don’t have to apologize for things that aren’t your fault. How about we forget dinner and move on to sleeping arrangements?’  
Nico nodded ‘Yeah, ok. I’ll tell them right now’.  
When they walked back into the living room, Nico stared daggers at everyone.  
‘Will isn’t feeling very well, I think we’re just going to hit the sack’.  
‘Why?’ asked Persephone fake baffled.  
‘Because he doesn’t wanna hang out with the Adams family’ snarled Nico and started for the door when Hades interrupted ‘You can escort William to his sleeping room, then you and I are going to have a talk’.  
Nico smiled and turned around ‘No we are not’.  
Hades expression was grim as always, but his eyes shone a grin ‘Oh, yes we are’.  
Nico was doing his best to fight back the angry tears he felt glisten in his eyeballs. He wanted to spit on his father’s face and walk away.  
For Will.  
He nodded and went back to Will, escorting him through the museum of pain stairs.  
***  
Having his boyfriend downstairs to have a screaming match with his father, Will decided to give himself a tour of Nico’s room since he was there already.  
Will was actually surprised.  
Knowing Nico, Will expected posters of Marilyn Manson and black wallpaper, some violent voodoo dolls hung around the ceiling and a blueprint on how to murder his father Home Alone style.  
The only thing close to Will’s expectations was the bumper sticker stuck on the interior of the door. It read “Fuck you very, very much”.  
Will almost laughed.  
Nico’s bedspread was actually themed!  
It was a photoprint of little cards sprawled around coolly and there was a title at the pillow “Mythomagic”.  
Nico played MYTHOMAGIC? …Plays?  
Will felt 3 times better just getting this info.  
There was a hanger line along the door with little pirate paper hats, handmade decorations and black hoodies.  
A CD rack was placed on a very loose shelf opposite the bed and all the CD’s were some amazing classic epic movies like “V for Vendetta”, “The Color Purple”, “Kill Bill vol. 1 and 2”, “Forest Gump”, “Godfather”, “Back to the future”, “How I met your mother series”, “Queer as Folk”, “Friends TV show”, “Ally McBeal”, “Whose Line is it Anyway” and of course “Silence of the Lambs”.  
Will felt kinda jealous for 1.8 seconds that he never got to have CDs’ as cool as these.  
He got a pretty stomach-hurting laugh when he found 5 Gay Porn CD cases behind the first CDs’.  
He kept mindlessly rummaging and raiding Nico’s stuff and was glad of it.  
He found a box at the back of his closet filled to the brim with Mythomagic cards, themed merch and little figurines.  
Another box had miniature pirates and funnily enough, two male pirates were thrown in the box in a hug position.  
Nico’s gothic style clothing wasn’t anything new.  
Most of the walls had pictures of Nico, Bianca, Maria and Hazel.   
None had Hades.  
Will’s eyes got a little watery as he stared at Nico’s beautiful little smiling face with a missing tooth in the front and those little perky freckles looking uncharacteristic on his little pink plump cheeks as he held up a present with Bianca to Maria for mother’s day.  
One was of Maria blowing Nico’s tummy as Nico looked like he was laughing hysterically.  
In the one sided at the door was Nico and Bianca dressed as pirates.  
Surprisingly, there were even a bunch of high school framed photos of Nico hanging out with Jason, Leo and Piper or looking awkward next to Percy and one was him hugging Hazel lovingly.  
At the bottom of the family frame there was something that looked like it was etched with something sharp.  
When Will got closer he saw it was Nico’s apartment’s nightstand’s photo, beneath it wrote “Maria and Bianca are my lasagna”.  
Will did the same thing he did to the other photo. He kissed child Nico’s happy face giggling.  
Will eventually wanted to search through Nico’s computer.  
He realized what an invasion of personal space his actions were but he felt that if Will didn’t find out more about things Nico found a sore subject Nico would never tell.  
He just wanted to know more on how to care and help the person who he loved unconditionally.  
He wanted to know more about Nico.  
The old one and the new one.  
When Nico’s laptop flickered on, there was a Password inquiry and Will thought for a moment.  
He used stuff like “Fuck you” or “Go away” or “I hate myself” including “I wish I were dead” but none worked.  
Will glanced around the room to Nico’s bookshelf thoughtfully.  
Sophie’s world, Anne Frank, Artemis Fowl, the Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Color Purple, To Kill a Mockingbird, Huckleberry Finn, Why we Can’t wait, Simple Genius, Harry Potter and Sherlock Holmes, homer and Edgar Allan Poe.  
He wrote up anything he could grab off those books’ memorable words but NOTHING worked.  
What was he missing?  
Then he snapped his fingers.  
He smiled sadly at the screen as he wrote up “MariaBiancaaremyall”.  
The computer unlocked and showed a very crammed up desktop filled with Microsoft Word files and pictures.  
The Desktop itself was Scarface pointing his gun around saying “Say Hello to my LITTLE FRIEND!”  
Will chuckled.  
The only app he had was ITUNES which had a relative list of:  
This is Gospel Panic! at the Disco  
I’m Still here John Rzeznik  
Demons Imagine Dragons  
Radioactive Imagine Dragons  
Hopeful Bars & Melody  
Fix you Coldplay  
Paradise Coldplay  
When I’m gone Eminem  
Mockingbird Eminem  
Titanium David Guetta  
Don’t you worry Child Swedish House Mafia   
Empty The Click Five  
Chandelier Sia  
Let it Be The Beatles  
Hey Jude The Beatles  
All I know Five for Fighting  
One Little Slip Barenaked Ladies  
Some Nights Fun  
Bang Bang Kill Bill OST  
Sometimes the Stars The Audreys  
Hallelujah Shrek OST  
Agaetis Byrjun Sigur Ros  
Last of Me Cher  
Molly Smiles Jesse Spencer  
We Will Rock You Queen  
Somebody to Love Queen  
Pictures of You The Last Good Night  
God Help the Outcasts Disney OST  
River Robert Downey Jr  
Smile Robert Downey Jr  
Give me some sunshine 3 idiots OST  
Wind Akeboshi  
Will was already screen-shooting the list as he was very intrigued with the fact that he hadn’t heard all of them and wanted to.  
He opened up a folder on Word and gasped excitedly.  
It was that story Nico said he wrote to his dad when he came out.  
Green is Sin.  
Will read it since it was only 5 pages long, kind of scared Nico might walk in on him snooping on his private stuff.  
But then again Nico was arguing with his dad and when Nico got in a verbal fight, he liked to be VERY long about it.  
Will would know. They’ve had like 40 fights.  
At the end of the play there was a PS note.  
It said: “For more dough, find shit”.  
Will almost thought he meant it sarcastically like calling his own play shit.  
But then again Nico’s word for stuff was actually shit.  
What if…  
It took him some time and more discoveries until he found a three fingers thick file with a marker title reading “SHIT”.  
Will’s eyebrows knitted together and he opened the binder.  
It was a collection of doodles and ideas Nico wrote dow sloppily for writing ideas and projects and it was really cute.  
But at the last pages there was a poem.  
It was signed: Please by Nico di Angelo, 2011.  
Will did the math. Nico was 14 when he wrote this.  
It read the following:

Does it happen a lot,  
The person you must need is gone,  
And you don’t know what you did to deserve it.  
You keep it bottled and other people get the credit.

When the whole world was against me you were not.  
You tried to hold on as they started throwing rocks.  
You fed me and took care of me,  
Why do I feel so lonely?

I’m abused for showing my art,   
Trying to express the color of my heart.  
When you’re not sighing happily at home,  
It occurs to me how much I feel alone. I’m really alone.

 

How the fuck am I supposed to cope,  
When the bully who fucks me motionally lives in my home?  
I don’t wanna cut or cause my body burns,  
Cuz what you’re doing is enough to say “it hurts”.

I’m not shit stop calling me that,  
I’m a human being I don’t deserve that.  
I got feeling too,  
And bad days boo-hoo.  
I don’t wanna be scared all the time,  
I haven’t done anyone any crime.

I’m not a pussy I’m not a mess,  
You’re the one who hurts me and I ask for forgiveness.  
I’m scared to not forgive,  
Because then they’ll get mad and treat me like shit.

It’s not fair I just wanna be a happy cat,  
I want to smile is that too much to ask?!  
I wanna be human again,  
I wanna feel a bit of heaven.

Please don’t call me things even the devil doesn’t dare.  
PLEASE! I’m sick of nightmares.  
All I want is someone to trust,  
Not a broken person who crushes my soul to dust.

I wasted my time on my knees in pray,  
When nothing from above came to save the day.  
I know you’re sad, you got feels too,  
But cuz you’re sad I’m the one getting killed.

I’m lucky if you’re in a good mood,  
If something gets you mad I hide under my hood.  
I know you’re sad and lonely too,  
But I’m tired of thinking what to do,

So that I don’t catch you when you’re sour,  
I get the blame around the hour.  
I swallow my loss for everyone  
And I get yelled at, what have I fucking done?!

I don’t wanna cry,  
Everytime it’s salt to my eyes.  
I’m a human being, I hear and feel,  
I wanna laugh not fall on my heel.  
I wanna spread the love I have,  
I don’t wanna always feel so fucking sad.

I wanna be happy, I really do,  
But when I remember people’s words I start believing they are true.  
I hate myself, I don’t feel giddy,  
I want to cry till I become someone other than me.

I want a hug, a sign of two,  
Cuz I wouldn’t be as lonely if I had you.  
I want a little warmth and love,  
I want someone I can lean my head on.

I don’t need to be heard in pairs,  
I just want a sign showing someone still cares.  
I want my emotions to feel free,  
Just a pair of arms wrapping, loving me.

I wish I could go to someone else,  
But you are the only one I got left.  
I can’t do it by myself.  
I am crying for help,  
I’m still screaming and crying hoping till death.

My shoulder is there when someone needs a “it’s gonna be okay”,  
But when it’s my turn nobody will stay.  
I’m going insane  
And I take the blame.

I don’t know if I can take it much longer,  
I just need a day when I can holler.  
There’s no one to rescue me,  
Is this how it should be?  
Instead of the life I once had,  
I’ve become and emotional punching bag.

I don’t want to apologize for who I am,  
I want to wake up happy and not give a damn.  
Why do you push me to limits I can’t take?  
All the thumbs up you once gave me, were they all fake?

I have to bite my lip and look strong,  
I have to create an illusion of a fog.  
If I break down in front of you,  
I show my weakness and that won’t ever do.  
I’ll grit my teeth and look strong.  
In front of people I can’t look wrong.

I have to seem normal-but you see,  
I can’t do that when misery suffocates me.  
I don’t wanna feel crappy,  
So I will search for any way cuz really,  
I just want to be happy.

 

When Will was 7, his Elementary school organized Time Capsule day.  
Each student had to write something to their future self, leave a few stuff they thought were presents future them would enjoy.  
They put this stuff in a little capsule and bury it into their backyards.  
Time Capsules were memories in a jar.  
They were the things people requested or expected of the future.  
Nico had a capsule too.  
This whole fucking room was Nico’s fucking suffocating jar.  
Nico loved in new York with Jason and Leo and planned to spend his life with Will, but Nico’s heart and pain was trapped back here, in this very room, crying and praying aimlessly.  
He’s happy in NY, so why did he come back? Why did he return and rekindle the pain he felt in this jar?  
Will almost gagged mid-tears .He understood these verses.  
He FELT these verses. But sadly, Nico LIVED these verses.  
He felt like sandpaper. Heavy and still.  
He wanted to make Nico happy.  
He wanted to tell past Nico so.  
After a little more crying and sniffling, Will cried his tears with his wrists, looked up sighing so his eyes stopped tearing and closed the binder, putting it back where he’d found it.  
Will turned off the computer so Nico wouldn’t find out Will stuck his nose in his stuff and kill him to death.  
Pacing the room was boring.  
Looking through more of Nico’s stuff made Will sadder than he already was.  
He lied on the bed and hugged an extra pillow Nico put out for Will.  
It is very crazy to think it, but Will can almost swear he can hear voices.  
The sounds Nico made when he cried on his bed.  
The self-hating moans Nico let out as he pleasured himself thinking of people he knew he could and will never have.  
The wheezing of Nico’s voice as he tried to calm down after getting sober.  
The screams he shared with the pillow.  
Suddenly Will understood why it was so hard for Nico to step off that cab or even go buy the plane ticket here.  
This house was a beacon of nightmares. It was Nico’s bitterness and misery capsule.  
After such a long time, he came to open it today.  
Will almost wanted to block the door shut so that Nico couldn’t get back in this room and feel what Will is feeling right now.  
Speaking of the devil, Will heard stomping feet get closer and closer to the door.  
A very pissed Nico di Angelo walked in, slamming the door and growling and plopping next to Will on the bed.  
Will almost smiled and put a hand to Nico’s cool cheek ‘What did he say?’  
‘He’s trying to play the goodie-goodie again. Empty words with a fancy wrapping’ groaned Nico.  
He looked pretty pent up and stressed.  
He turned to Will and did that almost smile ‘At least you’re here to suffer with me’.  
Will smiled ‘Thank you, honey. That is heart-wrenchingly sweet’.  
Nico kissed Will’s plump pink lips, tasting the peach chapstick on them.  
Then Nico did something that Will would probably rank as the last thing Nico would do in his house.  
Nico got on his knees and started unzipping Will’s flyer and unbuckling his belt.  
Will gasped ‘Nico, WHAT are you doing?!’  
‘Showing my amazing boyfriend a good time’ Nico grinned.  
Nico felt treacherous.  
Both he and Will knew that this was Nico’s little thing.  
Anytime Nico got stressed or sad or angry, he’d try to regain his self-esteem by becoming dominating during sex.  
When Nico got spit on the street by an Evangelist nun when he was holding hands with Will, he’d ridden Will for the first time.  
He used sex to make himself feel better, not Will.  
When Will’s dick was out of his boxer’s, Nico swore Will made Clarisse’s baseball bat look like a toothpick.  
His sexual surge almost subsided for a second, but he immediately stuck the huge member in his mouth.  
‘Nico! Stop it! Y-you really don’t –ah- have to-aaahh’ Will cupped his mouth and looked at the ceiling.  
Nico’s erotic face when he sucked Will off threatened Will to come in his boyfriend’s mouth.  
Being his very first time blowing someone, Nico may not have been a blowjob expert, but he made up for the lack of experience with speed and tongue.  
He cupped Will’s balls and massaged them softly until he started squeezing a little.  
He tried to concentrate on Will’s dirty little sounds rather than remember his anger.  
He’ll do anything to forget.  
Anything, obviously.  
Will felt awful for not stopping Nico, but he couldn’t. The pleasure he was feeling drove him insane.  
He’d only been sucked off once by the girl he went out with but it was a 10 second thing before she got bored and went to do her nails.  
Nico was sucking Will’s dick off his pelvis.  
When Will felt his cum reach the head, he tried to push Nico off.  
But Nico stayed and sucked every drop down his throat like McDonalds coke.  
‘Nico, jesus, I’m sorry’ Will took Nico’s face in his hands.  
Nico had a very empty smile on his face and shook his head.  
‘I’m kinda hard to now’ he said seductively ‘You wanna…’  
Will pouted concernedly.  
He could practically feel Nico’s forced tone.  
But hey, who was he to deny accompanying his lover’s boner?

Nico was lying on the bed, eyes on the ceiling and legs spread, waiting for Will to enter him.  
As he looked at the ceiling, he remembered all the times he lied on this bad crying and staring at that ceiling. It disgusted him.  
Before Will went in, Nico repositioned himself in all fours, staring at the pillow instead.  
‘Nico?!’ Will squeaked.  
They’d tried out plenty positions and places before, but they’d never tried this since Will thought Nico would feel degraded the way he takes stuff personally.  
‘Will, get on with it!’ said Nico.  
‘But-’  
‘Are you going to fuck me or not?’  
The pleasure they felt was empty.  
The struggle Nico put up to move faster proved he was doing his best to get this over with.  
Nico wasn’t in the mood. He forced himself to be.  
Anything to forget this stupid fucking house and his fucking step mother and his fucking father.  
He wanted to make sure he wouldn’t disappear. He wanted to feel present.  
He wanted to feel Will’s touch and drown in it, one way or another.  
The orgasm they pulled was automatic.  
It felt good as fuck, especially in this new position, but neither of them had their mind on sex.  
They were both thinking of a way to better each other’s lives.  
Will collapsed with his back on the bed, exhausted, while Nico snuggled in his chest and envelope himself in Will’s body scent rather than remember where he was.  
After 5 minutes of heavy breathing, eyes started closing.  
Nico felt Will’s heartbeat start pumping slower and slower, his warm body calming.  
Then he slowly fell into a very horrific, very real, nightmare.

He was a helpless kid again, and he was standing in front of Bianca’s lifeless body at the funeral parlour, shaking her and screaming for her to wake up.  
He was pushing people in a crowd, trying to get a better look at the blown up building his mother was in.  
He was at the staircase bars, leaning to look at a chocolate coloured little girl with cinnamon hair crying and wiping her tears at the same time. Bianca was folding a piece of pink paper.  
She made it into a flower and gave it to the little African American girl, who had stopped crying and just stared thankfully at the Italian girl in front of her.  
Nico got up and started walking down the stairs to join in the fray, but was stopped when he felt a cold crisp slap against his tiny freckled cheek.  
He looked up to see a man with raging eyes and a frightening sneer across his lips.  
He started kicking Nico and punching him as Nico curled into a ball crying and closing his eyes.  
Then the man’s growling voice changes into multiple voices, teenager voices.  
A voice laughs ‘Smile, di Angelo’.  
When Nico opened his eyes, there were two kids pinning him down, one hitting him and another holding a camera in front of him.  
Nico squirms and tries to break free but the beater sucker punches Nico so bad Nico’s eyes tear up.  
‘Look at that! He’s crying! The fag is crying!’ laughed the kids as they kept beating Nico ‘Why don’t you just die, loser? Nobody’s going to want to shove their dicks in your mouth. Or wreck your ass. Nobody loves you. You’re just a fucking freak. You psycho retard. You’re alone and you’ll always be alone. Die, faggot!’  
Instead of a final blow he was expecting, he saw a teenage boy all in black in front of him, in his room, sucking a white powder through his nose and hold his eyes shaking. He was staring at a mirror on his lap.  
‘Nobody loves you. You’re just a useless pathetic retarded fag. You understand?’ said the boy to the mirror as his lip shook and his voice cracked.  
Nobody loves you.  
Nico’s scenery shifted as he blinked and he was sitting at McDonalds with Will.  
Will smiled at Nico and whispered in his ear ‘You disgust me’.  
Nico’s body went rigid.  
‘I had fun and all, but then again you don’t have any self-confidence, you’re very mean and frankly, you’re too ugly. Sorry, Death Boy. I do not love you, ok?’  
Will leaned in closer, gripping Nico’s chin between his palm ‘I hate you’.

 

Nico shot up out of bed gasping.  
His body was wet and steaming, his heart felt like it was about to leap out of his chest.  
It was all too vivid. Too real. Too possible.  
His hands shook and he tried the breathing exercises against the panic attacks he usually gets, but this was worse. Way worse.  
The walls were closing in on him. He could hear the voices of the people who have stabbed his heart and left him hopeless and alone to battle with his pain.  
The pictures on the walls kept staring at him, reminding him of his selfishness.  
Nico’s vision blurred and he felt a tug at his heart.  
‘Will’ he started to say but he ended up puking on the floor.  
Will opened one eye lazily but when he saw Nico he bolted out of bed and his medical instincts took over.  
He slung an arm underneath Nico’s armpit and ran pointing Nico to the room’s bathroom.  
He opened the door and laid Nico next to the toilet as Nico puked liquid.  
Will was scared out of his wits but he kept holding Nico’s chest with one hand and rubbing his back softly with the other.  
When Nico was out of things to puke, he leaned on the tub.  
He was still shaking and wheezing as if a rock was caught in his throat.  
Will gave up on acting like the calm one ‘Nico, what the HELL is wrong?!’  
‘Dream’ managed Nico ‘They..beat…..they said….nobody…they…. no one… you…hate me...I…no good… I…I….I’ Nico started crying like a little child and shaking like a leaf.  
Will felt like crying himself seeing Nico in this kind of tantrum.  
He went to the bedroom closet, grabbed a blankie, went back to the bathroom and wrapped it around Nico as if he were a baby.  
Will felt Nico’s heartbeat, making sure he wasn’t in some kind of seizure.  
Nico had told Will he sometimes rarely had panic attacks, but this couldn’t nearly qualify for one. This was downright trauma trigger.  
‘Nico, baby, honey, do you need me to call 911?’ said Will pulling Nico into his chest to warm Nico up.  
Nico could barely breath but he shook his head vigorously.  
‘Home’ he whined, tears spilling like tap water ‘I can’t….here… homeeee… I wanna…go…home…my…homeeeeee’  
Will carried Nico bridal style to the bed.  
He called for a taxi holding the phone with his cheek and shoulder while he dressed the psyched Nico, re-wrapped him with the blanket and packed the rest of their stuff.  
Will took Nico’s face and kissed his nose, wiped his tears and locked eyes with him ‘We’re going home ok? You don’t have to do this right now. We’re going home. And we will watch an anime on our underwear, eat lasagne and cookies for the whole day and we’re going to sleigh on the snow together. We’re going to graffiti the wall in front of your building and we’re going to be happy, ok? Please, just breathe. I love you ok? Breathe’.  
Nico was still shaking but he nodded and tried to breathe as much as he could.  
He had failed getting closure.  
He had failed Will.  
When the cab horn honked through the second floor window, Will slung the baggage on his hunky soldiers and carried Nico to the cab hurriedly so nobody woke up.  
The cabbie eyed the couple concernedly, but when Will shot the guy a death look-which wasn’t something Will has ever done- the cabbie just screeched the tires and asphalt as he headed for the areoport.  
Will took Nico into his big arms and rocking Nico back and forth, he hummed Every Breath you Take to Nico.  
Nico was still crying and still shaking, but he managed to tire out of his trance and sink into exhaustion.  
But he still had made a fatal mistake.  
He had failed himself.  
He had failed Will.  
He finally had the chance to show someone what he’d do for them, and he fucked it up too.  
The dream was right. Nico really was ugly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know. Total overkill right? Tbh the video camera bullying is smth that happened in my country not too long ago (granted it wasnt about homosexuality, the kid wouldve died if it was). This like traumatic trance Nico enters Ive ALMOST had and its a rlly shitty feeling so guys a thumbs up to Will Solace for being the most amazing boyfriend being there for his love.  
> Ps. The Song List of Nico, theyre a list of songs Id definitely recommend when yooure feeling sad, angry, neutral, frustrated basically any mood. They're reallyyyyy nice song (y) Hope you enjoy this guys, next chapter will be out sooner promise ;) <3 pleaseeeeeeee comment on it id love it <3


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys idk how to even apologize. Shit's been happening. i'm in a new school and learning sciences in a different language so it's kind of tough. Plus I've kind of been in a similar "adventure" as Michael has regards with Stuart but I'm coping somewhat. And in school we've been learning about Greek mythology: long story short, my teacher got everything wrong and I kept correcting her and I wrote a Greek myth to each of my classmates as home work hihi. Thank you to the last comment. Comments really help me u have no idea cause there's nothing that delights an author more than when someone expresses their opinion (good or bad) about their work. Thank u so much for liking my story so I've decided to update every 2 day and if I fail I have to write 2 chapters in two days muhahahaha. Hope u like this. Kudos, comment and stay Solangelo lovers <3

Chapter 14:  
‘I give up. I can’t do this anymore!’ shouted Will, tears streaming from his blue, blue eyes.  
‘Will!’ Nico tried to get his love’s attention but Will shook his head vigorously.  
‘No Nico! I can’t—I just—I can’t stand watching this anymore. It literally stings! I tried, I-I-I really did! I can’t I’m…I’m leaving!’  
‘WILL!’ Nico cried again but Will was too fed up.  
‘No, I’ve had enough, Leo can take over. I’m done. I am so done with’ Will gestures around ‘With this. DONE!’  
‘WILL!’ Nico growled ‘It’s just an onion, not a soap opera!’  
Will plopped down the kitchen knife and sat on the living room couch, where Piper was seated cradling Nico’s head on her lap.  
‘It just hurts as fuck!’ said Will, scratching his eyes ‘I’ve never been good with onions’.  
‘Whereas I’ve had years of experience meditating and fastening in Asian mountains, studying the Arts of angsty vegetable Chopping’ said Leo in a Chinese accent cracking his fingers ‘leave room for the master. I’m a black belt in Onion decapitation!’  
Calypso took time to stop the meat mincing to hit Leo behind the head.  
‘You goofball’ she smirked.  
Leo smiled and dug his lips on Calypso’s cheek ‘You totally dig it’.  
Calypso rolled her eyes smiling.  
Will looked like he was about to pluck off his eyeball and polish it with window washing liquid.  
Nico rolled his eyes ‘It was your own fucking idea to make Lasagne, Solace. Quit bellyaching’.  
‘I was making Lasagne for YOU, you ungrateful bedsheet!’  
‘Bedsheet?’ Piper raised her eyebrow looking up from her Mother Magazine.  
Will sighed ‘I’m running out of offensive stuff to call Nico when he gets severely cute’.  
‘How about just Nico? That good enough for everyone?’ asked Nico, arms crossed.  
Will pretended like he was thinking about it then ‘Nah, nicknames make you irresistable’.  
Nico chuckled ‘Then I’d have been pretty lucky if I had this info back in high school’.  
Nico was lying down and his bangs exposed his perfectly milky forehead, which Will kissed dearly ‘Then you wouldn’t have met me. And no way would I settle for that’.  
‘Guys, seriously, stop’ moaned Piper ‘This amount of cuteness is not good for the baby’.  
‘How long has it been, Piper?’ asked Calypso, layering the Lasagne pasta on a square dish in the kitchen.  
‘About 3 weeks I think’ said Piper pouting ‘I wish this process was over faster, it’s so boring to be pregnant’.  
‘Tell me about it’ sighed Nico.  
They all just laughed while Piper smacked Nico’s head.  
Things were okay. Kind of?  
Jason was at the Campus’s library finishing up a building project he had due for tomorrow.  
Percy had swim Practice with Frank so Annabeth and Hazel were coming over.  
Reyna was meeting up with Hylla and would drop by later.  
Nico was better.  
After he and Will got back in New York, Nico refused to breathe a word about his outburst. Will constantly asked, but seeing as his curiosity brought Nico more pain and memories, Will gave up.  
Will wasn’t a fan of temporary solutions. Temporary solutions could lead to permanent damage.  
Whereas Nico did his best to avoid a problem until the last second.  
Will was not only good for Nico’s lust and loneliness, Will was also Nico’s life coach.  
And Nico was Will’s source of happiness.  
A combo both of them were more than okay with.  
His dad called multiple times, but all Hazel could think to say was that Nico was sick and had to come back to New York to get his medicine.  
Ok, it wasn’t a GREAT excuse, but Hazel was born to spread love not lies.  
It wasn’t exactly her area of expertise.  
Miraculously, Hades bought it and didn’t push on that matter.  
But he did keep calling to check up on Nico almost every day.  
It was annoying, but it was an effort.  
Deep, deep, DEEP down, like hell deep down, Nico appreciated it.  
Will was amazing too.  
He gave Nico the space he needed to coil down the angst he felt and took him places to get his mind off the pain capsule.  
They actually watched anime all day long (Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood, secretly both of them’s favourite since Nico was a lot like Ed and Will was a lot like Al and they meshed as a team), and in the morning it was already time to precook their long-awaited Lasagne Will had fairly promised.  
Will’s petting attitude made Nico feel fuzzy and confident.  
Nico’s karma actually smiled.  
First time in his life he got the long end of the stick, he’s going to cherish it.  
He’s going to cherish his doofus blonde teddy bear too.  
That’s why he kept the fact that he had failed Will, at the very back of his mind. Or at least tried to.  
Nico yawned and sat up from Piper’s lap ‘Okay, I think I’m gonna go shave’.  
‘Shave? Nico, baby, you HAVE no hair. Your skin is literally smooth baby skin’ smirked Will.  
‘Of course you’d think I’m hairless, you blonde bigfoot’ shot back Nico.  
Piper laughed ‘He’s that hairy?’  
Nico snorted ‘Will is like a beacon of human hair. His body is the mothership of all hair in existence. If all the hair in the world were being called back to headquarters in one specific place, that’d be Will’.  
Will pouted ‘Well excuse me, smoothy, I thought you liked it’.  
Nico smiled and ran his hand across Will’s crotch ‘Oh, I never said I didn’t like it’.  
‘Guys, we’re cooking food here’ choked Leo, eyes red and teary ‘Get a room’.  
Calypso smirked ‘Like you’re one to talk. You make more dirty jokes before 8 AM than they touch each other all day’.  
Leo nodded sighing ‘It’s both a blessing and a curse’.  
Calypso tried to look unamused but ended up smiling and kissing Leo’s cheek ‘You weirdo’.  
‘You’re saying it like it’s a bad thing’ huffed Leo.  
‘Where’re you guys running off to after lunchtime anyway?’ asked Piper Nico and Will.  
‘Wouldn’t know’ Nico frowned and did his best annoying Will voice impersonation ‘It’s a surprise’.  
‘A GOOD surprise, thank you very much’ huffed Will.  
Piper pouted ‘That sucks. I guess I’ll just sit in and watch crappy movies all day’.  
‘Uuu, nice. Group question: What’s the worst movie you’ve ever watched?’  
‘Oh I know which one is the worst’ announced Nico, coming out of the bathroom wiping water off his chin with Will Solace hoodie sleeve ‘Bad Teacher. Tried to watch it once, I fucking gagged. Is straight sex really that disgusting?’  
The whole room, even Leo, hummed in agreement and laughed.  
‘Ok’ announced Calypso, rubbing the cooked flour of her palms ‘Lasagna is in the oven, Leo, you got the Ceasar Salad?’  
‘Yep’ sniffled Nico, still hating on the onion ‘Now I know why they call it Ceasar Salad. Onion tears are like a stab in the back’.  
‘Oh he did not’ said Will.  
Nico turned his head to Leo grinning ‘Ceasar is totally gonna haunt your ass now’.  
He stepped close to Calypso trying to sneak a kiss, but Calypso shoved him off exasperatedly ‘Get your haunted-ass saliva off my lips, I wanna live’.  
Calypso went and sat next to Piper, cuddling with her and both laughing at Leo’s expression.  
Leo turned toward the gay couple grinning ‘My own girlfriend went to cuddle with a pregnant woman. If this isn’t a Ceasar moment, I don’t know what is’.  
Will chuckled while he and Nico bundled into a cuddling ball purring like two comfy kittens.  
Piper smiled and reached her free hand ‘Got room for one more cuddle here, Leo. You want it?’  
Leo nodded his head vigorously and tucked himself under Piper’s warm wing ‘You don’t need to read those books anymore, Pipes. You’re already my mommy’.  
‘And mine’ added Calypso laughing.  
Piper snickered ‘With the way I’m packed, I feel like a daddy. A hot daddy’.  
Nico looked at Will ‘Is it wrong that they act more gay than us?’  
‘Totally’ agreed Will.  
‘Should we change that?’ wondered Nico devilishly.  
‘Totally’ repeated Will, kissing Nico’s lips.  
‘That’s our cue to start the movie’ noted Leo rolling his eyes.  
‘And our cue to hit the road’ grinned Will at Nico.  
Nico growled ‘I swear Solace, if you send me to some cheesy place like an amusement park or a zoo, I will skin you’.  
Will rolled his eyes ‘No, drama queen, no parks. It’s a very cute quiet place just for you and me. You’ll like it, I swear’.  
Not like Nico had a decent choice or fight against Will’s criminally adorable pout and big round sky blue puppy eyes.  
Will made sure to wrap Nico up nice and warm for the winter outside.  
In other words; Nico was wearing two shirts, a hoodie, a buff coat, a puffy scarf, ear muffs, winter hat and gloves.  
A box and a couple of nails and Will could Amazonly ship Nico to Alaska.

Cecil’s truck, as junky as it is, is actually pretty comfortable.  
It had everything. Plus it actually HAD everything.  
The truck used to be a moving van or something so it had a lot of leftover or forgotten boxes full of junk.  
Junk that could prove quite handy when your blonde over-happy boyfriend kidnaps you and is driving you further away from people you could scream “HELP!” to.  
Will drove with a whistle on his lips while Nico just leaned his head on his boyfriend’s shoulder, staring at the wintery scenery of New York.  
It was probably the prettiest view you could ask for.  
The winter look on good ol’ NY looked like it was created to have that image.  
The beautiful shaved snow fell gently and shone across corners where it remained untouched and people were snuggled in warm clothing, carrying plastic cups of hot chocolate, running for work or just holding hands with a loved one-from couples both straight and gay to grandfathers helping their toddler nieces walk into the messy snow.  
It was a cold yet warm atmosphere.  
Nico only wished he knew where he was going.  
‘Ok’ he groaned ‘Spill it, Solace. Where’re you kidnapping me to?’  
‘I am unauthorized to give out any information, positive or negative without my secretary present’ answered Will with a grin.  
Nico scoffed ‘Can’t you spend at least a day without quoting a movie?’  
Will pouted ‘What’s the fun in that? Besides, I think you find my movie nerd side totally sexy’.  
Niso snorted ‘You wish’.  
Nico pretended to scratch his cheek so Will couldn’t see the confirmation of his accusation in Nico’s rosy cheeks.  
Nico closed his eyes a little.  
‘Nico’ said Will ‘baby, you sleeping?’  
‘Of course not’ said Nico with a yarn ‘just closing my eyes for a tiny bit’.  
Will smiled ‘Snow making you sleepy?’  
Nico shook his head, but weakly.  
Nico kept taking in the scent of Will’s shoulder his head was on, honey and strawberries, like summer, overwhelming his comfort with more warmth and a homey aura.  
Will was irresponsible for 2.8 seconds taking his eyes off the road to amusedly stare at Nico’s sleeping head smelling of aftershave and Piper’s bathroom insences.  
He kissed the top of Nico’s head and hugged his little head between his cheek and shoulder ‘I love you too much, Nico. I really do’.

‘Nico?’ asked a voice.  
Nico saw pitch black then two slits opened up.  
His eyes met with two blue ones in front of him.  
Those blue eyes made his day. They were so beautifully Will.  
‘Sweetie, we’re here’ said Will.  
Nico levelled his crooked neck to stare at the window.  
There were a handful of kids with sleds and snowboards running around, sliding down a snowy slope.  
Some kids had a candle stick and used it to coat the bottoms of their sliding gears with it to make them more slippery while others adjusted hand radios and tied them to their sled’s leg listening to wintery songs like SnoopDog’s “Winter Wonderland”.  
It was a slide slope.  
Will Goofball Solace had taken Nico to a slide slope.  
‘I promised you, didn’t I?’ said Will grinning ‘I’d take you sledding. You lived in California and didn’t get much snow there so for your first time, I thought this would, you know, be fun’.  
Nico felt like punching and kissing Will all at once.  
The kiss was because he was too much of a great boyfriend.  
The punch was because he was too much of a great boyfriend.  
There were two good reasons to simply adore Will Solace:  
a) He used the cinema to describe real stuff. Describing his poverty and large family using the Weasley example was one Nico found adorable.  
b) He always knew how to cheer you up. Through shit or gold, he came through.  
When they were out of the car, Nico put his hands in his pockets, gazing at the kids and doing that almost smile of his.  
Will went to the back of the truck and came back with a sorry excuse of an elf sled.  
‘Where’d you get THAT?!’ asked Nico holding back a guffaw.  
‘Cecil’s truck has EVERYTHING’ says Will.  
‘No. I meant where’d you get that pipsqueak?! Did you buy it at an elf winter store or did you separate it from its mom?’  
Will laughed then pretended he didn’t and rolled his eyes.  
‘Whatever, Vanilla skin’ shot back Will.  
Nico shrugged ‘Getting out the skin tone jokes are we? Cuz i can just call you poo-skin all day long’.  
Will smiled and pecked Nico’s lips ‘Have I ever mentioned that I love you?’  
Nico blushed stupidly like a high schooler on his first date with the varsity jock who groped his ass ‘You fucking dork. I don’t hate you either’.  
‘I’ll take what I can get’ shrugged Will ‘Wanna get set at the top of the slope over there? I’ll race ya’.  
‘Oh you’re on’ grinned Nico and began running.  
Nico being no heavier than a box of ghosts, managed to gain on Will and pass him so Will kept grabbing an arm and shoving Nico behind him teasingly so Nico jumped on Will’s back and they both collapsed on the snow.  
They laughed and kissed and laughed again.  
When they looked up, a bunch of kids were staring at them, one particular little boy looked a little too happy with the kissing men for Nico’s taste.  
Will got up with Nico and they straightened up.  
‘Ummm...a little too much on the PDA side’ whispered Will to Nico at the corner of his mouth.  
‘You think?’ whispered back Nico at the corner of his mouth.  
‘Ummm... kids, love is love. Just...wait till you’re older. And don’t do drugs’ nervously laughed Will.  
‘Unless life gets depress-’ Nico got elbowed in the stomach ‘Stay in school’.  
They both awkwardly walked away.  
‘That was the most embarrassing thing EVER!’ moaned Will, his face a shade of tomato.  
‘Could’ve been worse’ said Nico ‘We could’ve been fucking’.  
‘Oh sure’ said Will ‘because we walk then randomly stop in the middle of the road and hump each other in front of kids ALL THE TIME’.  
‘Speak for yourself’ snickered Nico.  
Will groaned ‘Why you sly little bedsheet’ he tickled Nico.  
Nico giggled and hugged Will’s hands around his tummy lovingly.  
He didn’t want those arms to leave him ever. They should just stay there forever. That’s totally logical. And legal. Not that Nico would know. No sir.  
Anywaaaayy...  
Will placed the micro sled in front and sat Nico at the front and gave Nico the steering string.  
Will sat right behind him and practically wrapped his legs around Nico’s hip which totally turned Nico on.  
He put his arms around Nico and helped with the steering string.  
‘Ready?’ asked Will, his lips inches from Nico’s ear.  
Nico almost responded with a heated moan but just then they descended towards the bottom of the slope.  
The ride was super fast and Nico’s skull beanie flew off mid-ride.  
Will whooped while Nico screamed both psyched and a little terrified.  
They almost landed safely until a shy rock tripped the sled and Nico and Will flew headfirst into a snow coated bottom.  
Will couldn’t stop laughing and nearly peed himself when he saw Nico’s cat-traumatized terrified face.  
‘Wasn’t that fun?’ asked Will.  
‘That was a MURDER ATTEMPT! Do mothers actually let their kids sled by themselves here?!’ shouted Nico.  
Will just giggled some more and hug/rolled Nico around the snow.  
‘Loosen up, Nico, this is fun!’ squealed Will.  
‘Will, I love you, but you have the emotional IQ of a toddler’.  
‘Killjoy’ pouted Will.  
‘ADHD brat’ shot back Nico.  
‘Ghost King’.  
Nico thought about that one ‘Huh. I don’t resent THAT’.  
Will laughed and they both kind of just lied down in the snow.  
Nico stared at the puffy clouds and Will held his head up with his palm, staring at Nico quizzically.  
He just loved Nico. It was like an itch you can’t help but keep scratching. Feeling it inside, that you’ll go insane if you don’t repeat the scratch.  
Will couldn’t stop loving or telling Nico how much he loved him.  
He just wanted to wrap the guy in his arms and keep him like that so that nothing or no one hurt him ever again.  
The night in Los Angeles was one of Will’s worst.  
He felt like he was reviewing Michael’s progression into emotional insanity all bunched up into a 5 minute tantrum starring Nico di Angelo.  
Seeing someone you love more than life itself cry and suffocate like that is way, way disturbing.  
Nico was suffering and losing control of his sanity to the point where he puked and started crying like a child would at a mall.  
Screeching scream, red face, slits for eyes that showed nothing but tears spilling and hands clutching on hair like a lifeline, almost pulling them off his skull.  
Will vaguely remembered Nico adding a few kicks around to physically throw out the frustration.  
It was like watching someone torturing an innocent broken puppy to insanity. It was monstrous.  
Will doesn’t want Nico to ever, ever, ever feel like that again.  
To go through that amount of unbearable pain.  
The pain you have to scream to spill out.  
And this was Nico. He is the type to be modest even about suffering.  
Will kept remembering the poem he read and the pictures he flipped through and the songs he’d now downloaded on his screen chipped IPhone.  
Will wanted to save the person that saved him.  
He felt just as helpless as he did when he tried to sleep in his bed, swallowing the urge to throw away his covers and got check on his big brother’s room.  
He’d wanted to so, so badly.  
If he’d just stopped being such a fucking coward, got up and opened the door, his brother might’ve been alive today.  
He might have had a boyfriend like Nico does, and faced his shit like Nico does, and had friends like Nico does.  
Nico was Will’s second chance to show how much he loved the people he loved.  
He couldn’t save Michael. But he wasn’t about to let Nico suffer too.  
Nico turned his head and blushed after seeing Will’s eyes fixated on him ‘Will, you’re staring’.  
Will shook his head ‘Sorry, it’s just, you’re gorgeous’.  
‘Oh, shut up. I look like an anemic retard’ frowned Nico.  
Will nudged closer to Nico and kissed his cheek ‘You’re gorgeous’.  
Nico smiled a little and gave Will’s lips a soft long but simple kiss.  
Will still stared.  
‘Nico?’ he asked.  
‘Yeah?’ asked Nico.  
‘I-I know we kinda agreed we wouldn’t bring this up but umm... back in Los Angeles’ Nico’s body flinched.  
Will winced but he couldn’t take it back ‘What did you dream about?’  
Nico turned his eyes back at the sky.  
He sat up and looked around quietly as if casually staring at the scenery.  
Will sat up along with him ‘If you don’t want to really talk about it, you can. I don’t want to make you remember. I just want... No, I NEED to know what made you suffer like that’  
There was silence for a long time.  
Nico licked his lips and began to speak ‘I wasn’t always like this. I wasn’t a floating ghost with an attitude problem. You would’ve loved me, Will. I was lively and I had freckles and a missing front tooth and a chubby face with eyes that lit up. I loved a lot. I loved this fucking card game called Mythomagic and became its nerd. I laughed a lot and I talked a lot. I hugged people all the time and I loved the people around me. I was such a healthy kid. I know you won’t give up on me now either, but I wish I could be a better person for you Will. I wish I could be that handsome happy fun kid I used to be. I wish I could fill you with the love I filled people with back then. I really wish I could be all you deserve. I wish I were enough of a person, I so do. But I’m not. This is all that’s left of me. It’s not much but it’s all there’s left after all that’s happened. I’m it. I want to be better for you Will. I tried to. I went to face my old fucking prison cell because dad said he’d cut off my budget and I wanted to help you get Amy because I know that’s the most important thing for you. I tried to face my past for you, but I failed. That place got the best of me. I’m sorry Will. I’m sorry I’m not someone good enough for you to hand over your heart to, I’m sorry I couldn’t be strong enough for you and I’m sorry I couldn’t be the person I was for you. I’m sorry for everything’.  
Nico wasn’t crying. His face didn’t look sad or in the brink of tears. It was serious.  
Nico was genuinely apologizing to Will. His face carried regret and sincerity.  
He put his hand on Will’s cheek ‘I’m sorry, my beautiful Sunshine. I failed you. I love you’ he kissed Will’s cheek.  
Will’s face got red with rage and he wrapped his arms around Nico ‘Don’t you EVER say that again, Nico di Angelo! Don’t you fucking dare repeat that bullshit ever again! Don’t ever apologize to me for being the person I love! I don’t fucking care what you were like 10 years ago, I love YOU! Don’t ever fucking apologize for feeling sad and scared and lonely! Don’t ever apologize for not being able to lend me some fucking disgusting green paper with dead presidents on them! Don’t ever fucking insult the guy, the man, the angel that I love most on the face of this planet and definitely don’t fucking apologize for wanting to love! Don’t you dare, di Angelo!’  
Nico was a tiny bit shocked at Will’s outburst.  
Will never shouted or cursed.  
But right now Will was furious.  
His face dug at the crook of Nico’s neck, arms wrapped around Nico and his legs passed along Nico’s legs as they hugged, sitting in the snow.  
Nico was so scared Will would hate him for failing him.  
It ate him alive.  
Will really was inhuman.  
‘I relived the moment I found out my mom died’ said Nico ‘the dream. I saw the crows I got lost in, looking for mom. Then Bianca and Hazel were there without me and I wanted to play with them. Then the Tartarus mafia started beating me up. Then it was the bullies. Once in 9th grade these kids at another school heard a rumour about me being gay. They had taken behind an ally. A bunch of them held me down, one beat me up cursing at me while another kid was recording me with a video camera. It happened not too far from my house. They kept beating me and calling me names, and they recorded me crying and squirming, trying to get away. I had a panic attack after I got home and I swallowed too many anti-depressants. Hazel caught me and made me throw them up. I relived that in my dream too. I dreamt on how I used to do drugs in my room, staring at a mirror in self pity and reassuring myself I wasn't worth shit. But the worst part was the last. We were both at McDonalds. You told me that you don’t love me. You told me I was ugly. You said you hated me. After that I woke up’.  
He’d gone there. Nico went to the place where all this happened to him.  
He’d gone there for Will.  
Will kissed Nico. He opened up Nico’s mouth and stuck his tongue inside.  
He tenderly stroked the inside of Nico’s mouth and stroked his cheeks with his thumbs.  
He sucked Nico’s tongue like it was Nico’s soft skin.  
When he parted the kiss to breathe, he kissed Nico’s forehead, his cheek and even his chin.  
He kissed his nose and settled his lips on Nico’s eyes.  
‘What are you doing?’ asked Nico.  
‘Loving you’ said Will. ‘I want to give you all the love you deserve. Every breath I take I take just so I can be with you more. I want to hug you, kiss you, make love to you. I want to build a future where you can be happy. Nico di Angelo I love you. All day, every day, every way. I love YOU’.  
They sat like that, hugging and caressing each other’s faces for almost half an hour.  
Nothing existed.  
Or rather, nothing was relevant right then and there.  
Not Nico’s house, not Will’s empty pockets, not their wet cold winter boots or their tiny sled.  
Not only did Nico have someone to love. He had someone that could love him.  
They both knew. They knew about the di Angelo and the Solace pain.  
So much happened to them.  
They both told each other they were in pain. They just never told each other just how much pain they were in.  
But this was enough for Nico.  
He didn’t have his mom to fuss over him, he didn’t have Bianca to hold his hand at the first day of high school. He didn’t even have the approval of other people to love who he loved. He didn’t need it now.  
He didn’t have many things.  
But he had Will.  
He had the idiot’s stupid smile and his jokes and fondness for TV and obsession to help people. He had his body and his heart.  
They were Nico’s most precious possessions.  
Will’s huge, beautiful heart.  
Will broke the embrace he’d enveloped Nico in.  
He scooped up his Italian dessert and heated for the top of the slope.  
He strapped on Nico to the passenger seat and sat on the driver’s seat.  
‘I messed with your personal computer’ confessed Will, eyes on the road. ‘When you were arguing with your dad, I snooped around your room. I read your work. Your poem. I even downloaded the songs you used to listen to’.  
Will expected a groan or a yell, but all that Nico said was ‘It wasn’t a poem’.  
‘What?’ asked Will.  
‘Don’t laugh, but it wasn’t a poem. It was a rap song’s lyrics I invented’.  
Will covered his mouth then laughed uncontrollably, completely ruining the tension.  
‘You wrote rap??’ asked Will still giggling.  
‘It was a phase!’ excused Nico.  
‘I hope you know, Death Boy, that you don’t need to write rap like that anymore. Not just because rap doesn’t suit you. I’ll wipe away all anguish you feel, got it?’ said Will smiling at the window of the car.  
He laced his fingers in Nico’s and held tightly to his hand.  
Nico nodded ‘I know. I love you, you dork’.  
Will smiled ‘Any song you wanna listen to since I got your whole playlist on my phone?’  
Nico thought about it ‘Do you have “River” by Robert Downey Jr?’  
Will smiled while he lowered his driving pace to scroll through his music section.  
He hooked up the phone to the stereo.  
Nico smiled and looked at the right window ‘I love this song’.  
Will smirked 'Oh really?' 'Yeah' smiled Nico 'It's the first time somebody sang about how they hurt someone rather than how much their hurting by themselves. And how much you want to forget or leave who you are away'. Will frowned 'Who'd you hurt?' Nico look down at his hands 'Hazel. She just came to our family but I was too spoiled to let someone "new" be part of our family. She helped me through so much and every time I remember the way I used to treat her, this song just sings with me. it was my favorite song'. 'what's your favorite song now?' asked Will. Nico blushed '"Every Breath You Take"'. Their first song. Will cooed 'Are you blushing, Death boy'. Nico just smiled and sang along with the song. The song was sad. It made the trip to Will’s next surprise occasion pretty sad.  
But it wasn’t the depressing kind of sad. It was more like the broken but happy kind of sad.  
The sad you can live with.  
Nico's voice was actually really good. He unconsciously sang throughout the whole song and mumbled 'Still a good song'. Will stopped by a paint shop.  
‘What are you doing, Will?’ asked Nico.  
Will winked and got out of the car.  
3 minutes later he came back holding a plastic bag with 4 cans of spray.  
The truck parked behind an alley.  
Will got out taking the sprays with him.  
‘Will what the fuck are you doing?!’ groaned Nico.  
He followed Will in the ally and stared kind of dumbstruck.  
Will took a yellow spray and wrote “Will Solace loves Nico di Angelo”.  
Will grinned ‘I want all of New York to know you are my angel’.  
Nico snorted ‘Or you just gave the police your official name to charge you for illegal wall graffiti.  
Will nodded ‘Sure that too’.  
Nico laughed and kissed Will’s cheek ‘I had fun today’.  
‘Oh it’s not over, black beauty. I still have one more surprise in store’.  
Nico sighed.  
It was almost pitch black now and they were late for dinner at the apartment.  
But once Will puts his mind into something for Nico, he won’t quit.  
And Will did take him to a park.  
A playground.  
It was dark as fuck so Nico contemplated whether Will was running out of ideas to bring him here.  
‘Wait for it’ warned Will.  
He ran behind the swing and clicked something.  
Tiny Christmas lights were tangled around the slide, the seesaw, the swings, everywhere.  
It was incredibly beautiful and unbelievably romantic.  
At the sandbox was a picnic place.  
Nico’s jaw hung open.  
The whole picnic menu had Italian grab ups and desserts.  
It was cold as a freezer so Will grabbed a bunch of pillows and blankets from the truck and he took Nico’s hand, sitting him down at the pillow next to the Italian muffins.  
‘Bet you never heard of a winter picnic before, have you?’ slyly commented Will.  
Nico was speechless.  
Will pulled out of the picnic basket a lousy hand radio and turned on some romantic music.  
The radio had a shitty quality and they heard more static than music but that didn’t bother them.  
Will had done his best to create a day that would be so incredible for Nico, his little angel would forget about the one in Los Angeles.  
The radio started playing Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Outloud’ and snow began to silently fall so Will bowed to Nico asking for a dance.  
They slow danced, Nico’s hands wrapped around Will’s neck and his face resting in Will’s shoulder while Will had his hands around Nico’s waist and His head rested on top of Nico’s, constantly kissing the top of his head.  
Every time the song told them to do so, Nico and Will kissed and stared at each other. At the snow and at the strangely starry night.  
It wasn’t like their first dance exactly.  
The first dance was new and passionately loving.  
This was familiar and tender, they knew each other and cared for nothing more.  
“Baby now,  
Take me into your loving arms.  
Kiss me under the lights of a thousand stars.  
Place your hand on my beating heart.  
Thinking out loud that maybe,  
we found love right where we are”  
Nico and Will could do just those things.  
The shimmering Christmas lights that illuminated the falling snowflakes, making them look like colourful drops and the stars illuminating a halo around them.  
Kissing and touching and holding and thinking.  
Loving.  
That’s all they did.  
After a lot of slow dancing, Will picked Nico up bridal style and carried him back to the van.  
Nico didn’t bother asking questions.  
It honestly didn’t matter.  
Will lied Nico on the back of the van.  
He closed the truck doors and blanketed the floor of the vehicle.  
He placed Nico on the blanket and placing himself on top of Nico, he began slowly undressing him.  
Nico didn’t complain.  
He wriggled his hand out of his sleeve when need be and followed Will’s lead.  
Will, still on top of Nico, took off his own clothes.  
Nico felt limp.  
He couldn’t really move.  
It was kind of like the feeling when he got drugged.  
His body went asleep.  
But this drug kept his mind and heart awake to taste his own lover.  
This drug intoxicated his body with exhaustion but full alert.  
It was what let him breathe.  
It was what kept him alive.  
He wrapped his own naked body around Will’s as Will kept mouthing romance in his ears and making love to him.  
That was the thing. They weren’t fucking.  
They weren’t having sex.  
It just wasn’t the right word for the kind of physical love they were creating.  
This couldn’t possibly sound as urgent or lustful.  
This was slow and tender. It was their unison.  
Their bodies reincarnating into better beings.  
Their whole beings aching for the other’s touch and warmth.  
It was beautiful.  
Will made love to Nico throughout the night until they exhausted themselves to sleep, wrapped up in each other’s arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo, that was a lot of emotion. I got u witht hat onion thing, didn't I? MUHAHAHA! Don't hate me... I hope u liked this chapter if so please comment and tell me. I'll be updating in two days so yepee! Question: which would you prefer to buy; HOO hardcover box set or paperback box set? And why? Ok goin now. love u all <3 comment PLEASE, kudos and all that jazz. Stay Solangelo lovers <3 Ps. I STRONGLY suggest you listen to "River" by Robert Downey Jr. it can literally save you. Idk it just makes u reflect on stuff u hadn't thought of before u know? For people who like songs that are about stuff other than romance, more about human emotion and idk eventual comfort, listen to this. bye <3


	15. Love yourself first

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi... I am scum. But guys shit's been going on and I had the worst case of writer's block as I wrote this. I still do. I'm just super miffed bcz of it. *Sigh* but guys my life has been complete now that the Trials of Apollo is sure to come!! Like were gonna see Solangelo (1000dollars says Solangelo boy wont be together yet, theyll be in denial and THEN theyll date, like Percabeth), Reyna finding smn, everyone seeing Leo is alive and potentially: a DAUGHTER of Hermes. WHoo!!!!!!!!!! Anywayyyyyyy, hope u like this shit. Thanks as always guys :) PLEASE comment comments fuel my soul and eradicate writer's block. PLEASEEE! <3 Luv u ALL Solangelo dorks <3

The definition of a good morning, in Jason Grace’s opinion, is waking up to the smell of a mouth-wetting breakfast, the hand of your one and only laced around yours as you giggle your heads in the pillow cases and you kiss her bumpy tummy, knowing that inside there’s another you. Another her. Another both of you.  
There is a new story sleeping in that bump, a new addition to the world you’re going to love.  
To think that that story, all of it is thanks to her.  
She is literally creating a new life. Enduring pregnancy shit and going to go through a painful final exam.  
She is his hero.  
That’s why he was pretty bummed when his ideal breakfast scene was shifter into a lethal Leo burning eggs on the stove and a pissed Piper puking her lungs out in the bathroom, with Annabeth holding her hair up and rubbing her back.  
Jason ran to the bathroom door ‘God, Piper, why didn’t you wake me?!’  
Piper stopped to answer, but another mouthful of barf interrupted.  
Annabeth turned to Jason and smiled ‘She didn’t want to wake you, she knows how long you stood up last night working on your building design’.  
Jason sighed and rubbed at his face ‘Ironic, huh? I’m in architecture and I can’t even be the supporting pillar for my pregnant girlfriend’.  
Annabeth pat Jason’s back while Piper was giving her last mouthful of morning sickness.  
Jason felt like shit.  
Piper flushed the toilet and winced when she turned to Jason.  
‘Not exactly the image I want to show you of me’ growled Piper ‘All sweaty and a mouth full of puke’.  
Jason smiled and pecked her lips ‘You could be covered in shit and I’d still want to see you and kiss you’.  
Piper smiled tiredly and hugged Jason ‘We’ll see about that on the 9th month, mister’.  
Jason laughed and cradled Piper around.  
Annabeth just smiled and went to collapse on the couch.  
A knock on the door interrupted the two lovebirds.  
Piper went to the sink to wash her mouth while Jason walked to the hallway to answer.  
He coughed in his way ‘Annabeth, take that spatula off Leo’s hands NOW! Before all the oxygen dies in this hole’.  
Jason’s grin almost ripped his own cheeks as he stared at his visitors.  
Will’s hair was a mess and his clothes looked as if they’d been worn after being spit out by a chewing cow and Nico’s hair was literally perfect in front and completely tousled at the back, both boys expressions cherry red.  
‘Not a word’ growled Nico and stomped inside.  
Jason looked at Will whom just answered with an apologetic grin and a shrug.  
‘What the fuck happened to the living room?! Yelled Nico.  
Jason tilted his head, inviting Will inside and proceeded to the kitchen.  
‘Leo Valdez, bitches!’ whooped Leo.  
Nico rolled his eyes ‘Right’.  
He kissed Piper’s and Annabeth’s cheeks.  
Will did the same, his eyes lingering on Annabeth’s arms, trying to make out the white scars Nico told him once about.  
Annabeth was such a together composed person, Will found it almost impossible for Annabeth to have been a cutter.  
Annabeth’s perceptive stormy eyes caught Will’s glance and gave a crooked smile like she knew Will felt bad for her and she signalled that it was okay.  
‘Where WERE you two?’ scolded Piper ‘We were worried when you didn’t give us any warning. Leo suggested you were probably just going at it like bunnies in Cecil’s truck’.  
‘Piper!’ wined Nico, with the whole room –excluding the blushing nose bleeding Will- doubling over in laughter.  
‘Can’t I even have sex without everyone knowing about it?’ pouted Nico.  
‘Not with those hickeys sticking out of your neck you can’t’ commented Annabeth.  
NIco sighed and dropped on the couch besides his girlfriends ‘Why did you give Leo cooking duty? You wanna burn down this building THAT badly?’  
‘Oh, ha-ha’ snarled Leo ‘For your information, di Angelo, you weren’t the only getting laid last night’.  
‘I know Piper and Jason still do it’ shrugged Nico, Annabeth giggling in the side.  
‘No, death breath, Calyps and I! W shagged, man’.  
‘Awwww, Leo finally lost his virginity’ cooed Jason and the others kept poking fun at the Latino.  
‘You’re all assholes’ he mumbled.  
‘Assholes who can cook’ added Will.  
Will dodged a spatula being thrown at him.  
Piper sniffed the burnt egg stench ‘I think I have to puke again’.  
Annabeth made to get up but Jason stopped her ‘I got this one, time I earn my reputation as the caring boyfriend’.  
Annabeth smiled and slumped back down to bed.  
Nico’s nose wrinkled sniffing as well, this time at him and Will ‘We REALLY need a shower’.  
‘I don’t have any spare clothes here’ said Will.  
Nico flailed his hand about unconcernedly ‘You can use mine. Hold on’.  
Nico lazily went to his room to dig out some fresh clothing, leaving Will and Annabeth in the couch.  
Will looked at Annabeth as she browsed through the Architecture magazine.  
His eyes immediately then dropped to the little white scars on Annabeth’s arms.  
‘Weird for a braniac like me to cut, eh?’ asked Annabeth, not even looking up from her magazine.  
Will blushed embarrassedly ‘OH! N-no—’.  
Annabeth looked up smiling comfortably ‘Don’t worry about it, I know it may look weird for a logical person to do stuff like that. Nico told you about it, didn’t he?’  
Will nodded. He felt like if he lied to Annabeth, she could tell.  
The way she looked at you, as if she’s analysing every inch of your mind and butchering the little conspicuous pieces and using them as software proof of what she accuses.  
‘He told me about all of you’ he added.  
‘He trusts you’ supplied Annabeth ‘so I trust you’.  
‘So…’ Will mumbled ‘I know wh you ummm cut before but..’  
Annabeth closed her magazine, shifting her gaze into Will’s milky blue soft eyes.  
‘Hard times can drug your logic’ chuckled Annabeth ‘Being the smart kid, the corrector, the perfect wanna-be. It always makes you feel like you’re not enough. My mom and dad always used me as their hockey puck when they fought. Passing me around in their argument like it was a game. And having you both neglect you otherwise sucks too’.  
Will’s heart sunk.  
True, he and Nico didn’t always have the best parents.   
But Will had a mom, Nico has a dad who tries.  
Annabeth had nothing.  
‘So Percy changed that for you?’ asked Will.  
That’s when Annabeth belt out an enormous laugh, as if Will had just told a hilarious dirty joke.  
‘I’m guessing not’ completed Will.  
After clearing the tears from her eyes, she went on ‘Sorry, sorry. It’s just I imagined Percy trying to take a matter seriously and…well that’s it’ she laughed again.  
Will chuckled.  
‘Percy helped’ she admitted ‘But, honestly, Will? Nobody can help you face your shit other than you. If you don’t start wanting to be better yourself, nobody can change your mind. My life didn’t get better and I didn’t find Percy until I made sure I can stand on my own two feet. I figured out my own strength because I wanted it. Not just needed it. I made sure I knew what I was outside of me and Percy’.  
Will listened to Annabeth fascinated, like he was in Relationships for Hurt People 101.  
‘And now’ Annabeth said ‘I’m happy I was the one who got my own head out of the gutter. I’m glad I made myself understand that I have the strength to save myself, not just wait in a tower for someone to save me. That’s what stopped me from keeping these ugly cuts up. And that’s what made find Percy. Of course I have days when I have urges or nightmares, that’s where Percy helps. He helps maintain who I am, not shape who I am’.  
Will had a pained face.  
What if he was what stopped Nico from growing into the strong person he could be?  
Annabeth pinched Will’s cheek ‘Don’t think like that. You are great for Nico. At the risk of sounding cliché, you guys complete each other. Chin up, kiddo’.  
Will smiled and held Annabeth’s hand ‘Thank you’.  
Annabeth winked and went back to her magazine.  
Nico was just staring at the two blondes in awe at the doorframe of his room.  
He kept thinking of what Annabeth said.  
Finding oneself before bearing the weight if a relationship.  
Sorting out personal priorities before you become someone else’s main entity.  
Nico was everything to Will.  
But Will had a shitload of stuff to think about.  
Amy, medical practice, domestic stability.  
And being Nico’s babysitter really put a hole in those responsibilities.  
Nico sighed and ran his hand through his hair.  
Step by step, Bianca used to say. Life must be handled; step by step.  
Nico tapped Will’s shoulder ‘Here you go Sunshine. They’re mine so they’re kind of small, but…yeah’.  
Will laughed ‘Thanks, babe’.  
The afternoon went on gently, Annabeth, Piper, Jason and Nico were all bundled on the couch watching Whose Line Is It Anyway reruns (Jason is totally brocuddling Nico), Leo was concocting abominations at the counter and Will was taking his famous 3 hour showers.  
Then their first sign of Armageddon chimed in.  
A few fan shouts from the windows.  
‘What’s that all about?’ asked Nico.  
Leo got up from his chair and glanced at the window, turning his head back to them, then, as if realising he made a huge mistake, snapped his head back at the window ‘HOLY SHIT!’  
‘What?’ asked everyone as they got up to stare at the window.  
At the foot of the building, a huge crowd of people were cheering and pushing each other at the entrance.  
Most held banners or signs of support.  
Piper read one very big sign saying “Luv u, Aphrodite! <3”.  
‘No!’ she said ‘Oh, GOD NO! No way. No. No. No. NO! LEO, BOLT THE DOOR SHUT!’  
‘Umm Pipes, I don’t have the proper--’  
Piper grabbed Leo by the scruff of his collar ‘I don’t care if you use a fucking SPOON to do it, if you don’t keep that door closed, I’m bolting your dick to the ceiling!’  
Just then Will got out of the bathroom, towel around his waist and his hair dripping wet, staring at the gang trying to save Leo from being torn apart by Piper.  
The doorbell rang.  
Piper stopped strangling Leo and stared daggers at the door handle ‘It’s too late!’  
‘Pipes’ Jason took her face in his hands ‘Calm down. You can do this’.  
Piper looked troubled, but she swallowed, breathed and composed herself ‘Jason, she is going to get up our asses when she meets everyone here’.  
‘We can handle it, Piper. We’re the Argo II!’ said Annabeth.  
‘She’s going to be REALLY pushy’ warned Piper.  
Nico shrugged ‘I can live with that’.  
Jason kissed Piper’s forehead ‘Sweetie, don’t worry. We’re here for you’.  
Will stared in disbelief.   
He leaned his head at Nico whispering ‘Is she really THAT tense?’  
Nico snorted and whispered back ‘In our graduation day, she practically came on to the whole school. She has this intense quality, like you can’t refuse her. Piper hates that cause people start acting differently around her when her mom pulls that “love me” switch’.  
‘Yikes’ followed Will.  
Piper breathed in again ‘Dad must’ve told her about the baby’.  
Leo’s face actually turned sympathetic ‘If you want, we can stall her and pretend you’re sleeping’.  
Piper shook her head ‘No way. You guys won’t stand a chance without me here’.  
Jason smiled ‘That’s my girl’.  
‘Let’s get this over with’ Piper stomped to the door then turned to Will ‘I strongly suggest you change into actual clothes, if she sees nothing but a towel wrapped on your waist, she’s gonna “oops” it off you’.  
Nico eyed Will with nothing but a towel for the first time ‘I wouldn’t blame her’.  
‘Shut up’ Will laughed and raced to the bathroom to dress up.  
‘Okay’ Piper told herself ‘Let the cosmetic pandemonium commence’.  
She opened the door hesitantly.  
‘PIPER!’ Aphrodite jumped to hug her daughter.  
She still looked as unreal as ever.  
Everyone kind of saw Aphrodite in their own different perspectives.  
She was stunningly beautiful.   
For a long, long time, Nico suspected Aphrodite actually WAS Victoria’s Secret.  
The woman wore the best clothes, best make up and was born with the best looks.  
But worst of all, she was born with the most cunning romantic instincts.  
She owned the room, and if someone disagreed or tried to disappear, she would wrap that person around her finger and make them regret their choice.  
‘Hi, mother who has not called to tell she is dropping by in my boyfriend’s apartment’ Piper mused, giving a toothy fake strained grin.  
‘Oh, tish-tosh, technicalities don’t matter when it’s family’ she laughed.  
One more thing; she’s British because why not?  
‘Annabeth!’ she smiled warmly and hugged her as well ‘You look gorgeous! I bet Percy can’t keep his hands off you!’  
Piper facepalmed herself but Annabeth found it quite amusing and smiled ‘Oh, you have no idea’.  
Aphrodite squealed in delight.  
She turned to Leo ‘Oh, sweetheart, almost forgot about you! My you’ve grown! You look dashing! I bet the girls are tripping over themselves for you’.  
‘As a matter of fact--’ Leo was slapped at the back of his head by Piper before he could complete his sentence.  
Jason was next.  
‘And Jason! Still just as handsome as ever. Or should I say “daddy” Jason’ she winked.  
Jason blushed and rubbed the back of his neck.  
‘Mom’ Piper chimed in ‘Please!’  
‘Oh, Piper, loosen up. I’m just teasing you all’ Aphrodite smiled at her.  
‘That’s what I implied by “PLEASE!”’ Piper growled.  
She turned to Nico and pinched his cheek ‘Almost forgot about this fluffy little crumpet! How are you, darling?’  
Nico hated the fact that Aphrodite was actually 45 and she was the only female in the planet he was attracted to.  
‘I-I’m good, I guess’ stuttered Nico between rubbing his pinched cheek.  
Leo snorted ‘You bet he is, after the ride he got last night’.  
Aphrodite squealed, getting the sexual pun to as it was her romance moral code to get it ‘With who?!’  
Will walked out of the bathroom, Nico’s dark clothes barely fitting him as he tousled his wet hair to give them a dry streak.  
Aphrodite gasped ‘Who IS this?!’  
Will glanced at Aphrodite then his jaw dropped.  
‘Honey’ Nico smiled through his tinge of anger ‘Your teeth are falling out’.  
Will snapped his jaw clothes.  
‘H-h-hi, I’m boyfriend, Nico’s Will’ he supplied between stutters and mumbles.  
At least he got “Nico’s Will” right.  
‘Oh my gosh!’ Aphrodite practically swooned and hugged Will ‘I could just eat you up!’  
‘Please don’t’ Piper sighed rubbing her temple.  
‘And you’re Nico’s boyfriend, you both look adorable!’ she grabbed Nico and framed her fingers to catch a look of Nico and Will standing by each other ‘Oh, yes. This couple will be my undoing’.  
‘Mom!’ Piper yelled ‘Why’re you here?’  
‘Right, silly me’ she hit her forehead in mock goofiness ‘How could I forget? I’m in the city for a new shoot, and I got a call from Tristan saying that Piper got a bun in the oven so I HAD to come over here to give you this’.  
Out of her red Prada purse, Aphrodite pulled out a neatly wrapped baby-pink box with a baby-blue bow on top, perfumed and perky and handed it to Piper.  
Piper looked confused ‘What is it?’  
Aphrodite winked ‘Just a little something from me. But please don’t open it until your 7th month of pregnancy. Ok?’  
‘Why so specific?’ asked Piper.  
Aphrodite smiled ‘All good things to those who wait, darling. Trust me on that’.  
She kissed the top of Piper’s head, for the first time in the minutes she’s entered the apartment, she looked like a mother.  
‘I also wanted to invite you to lunch this weekend, just you and your mum’ she grinned.  
Piper grimaced ‘Mom--’  
Aphrodite sighed ‘I know. You have to think it over. I understand. But really, it would mean a LOT to me if I got to have a heart to heart with you, honestly’.  
Piper sighed ‘I’ll call you’.  
Aphrodite skipped in joy ‘Thank you, baby. Can’t wait! Well, I can’t be here much longer, the shoot’s in 3 hours and I haven’t even done my hair yet. I’ll see you this weekend. Nice to meet you all, especially you Will’ she winked at him.  
Will blushed and Nico kneed his boyfriend in the tummy.  
Aphrodite hugged everyone and exited blowing air kisses as she walked.  
‘Oh and mom’ added Piper ‘said hi to Hepheastus’.  
Aphrodite’s smile almost faded for .2 seconds there, but she regained her charm ‘Will do, hun. Love you’.  
‘You too’ she sighed.  
When Aphrodite was gone, Piper collapsed on the couch, clutching the little present with it, oddly.  
‘I can’t believe it’ Piper moaned.  
‘I know’ followed Leo ‘She was practically blowing Will with her eyes’.  
Everyone laughed, even Piper.  
Jason sat beside his girlfriend ‘You’re fine, Pipes. It actually went better than last time’.  
Piper snickered ‘Yeah, well, it’s not like she’s going to catch us making out 2 times in one lifetime’.  
Jason laughed and kissed her cheek ‘Don’t tempt me’.  
Nico stared daggers at Will ‘You’re grounded’.  
‘Why me?!’ he whined.  
‘You just had to swoop in here all hot and blonde’ complained Nico.  
Will laughed and shrugged ‘Can’t help it I guess?’  
‘Fuck you’ said Nico through supressed laughter.  
‘Maybe later, babe’ he answered.  
Annabeth rolled her eyes ‘Leave it to Aphrodite to heighten the testosterone in the whole building’.  
Leo was laughing along when he checked his watch ‘Shit! I’m late’.  
‘Date with Calypso?’ asked Annabeth.  
Leo grinned ‘The one and only’.  
‘You do that’ said Nico then wrinkled his nose ‘And I shower, I smell worse than your cooking’.  
***  
As is turned out, the showers Nico and Will took were all for not.  
They ended up fooling around in Leo’s room AKA the living room couch since Leo was out with Calypso and quite possibly getting some.  
Jason and Piper were sleeping in Jason’s room since Piper’s pregnancy made them agree crashing here until they get their own place was a better thing for both Piper and the baby.  
Nico, as the opinionated little shit that he was, suggested that the clothing Will borrowed from Will didn’t look good and that maybe Will should just take them off.  
Will did not argue.  
Half naked, sweating and energetic, Will was on top of Nico in the living room couch, both participating in a sinfully heavy making out session.  
There was just this magnetic heat they couldn’t help but use to the fullest.  
They were its prisoners.  
And they loved it.  
But before it could go further than that, they heard keys clang and clip st the apartment door and jumped off each other.  
They tried to make their way to Nico’s room, but the door swung open so they only managed to hide behind the couch.  
They giggled and smooched but their smiles completely drained out when they heard the voices that yelled as they entered the door.   
‘Then what the fuck do you want from me Calypso? Do you want a confession? A big house? Just tell me what the fuck you want! I’m tired of having to guess!’ yelled Leo as he stomped in the apartment, Calypso following.  
‘See? That’s what’s fucking wrong with you, Leo! You’re always scared people will push you away, so you do your absolute best to keep them satisfied so they don’t leave you!’ followed Calypso, stomping to the fridge and grabbing a bottle of water.  
‘Calypso…’ Leo buried his face in his hands but Calypso went on.  
‘Ever since you were fucking little!’ she shouted ‘You were so scared nobody will like who you are you didn’t even try to live in a normal home! You have this could of dust above your head, your insecurity that maybe one day people will wake up and realize who you really are! Even with my dad!’  
Leo’s grip on the counter tightened as he looked down, Calypso’s words hitting him like knives.  
‘He bullies you into being his personal servant and you don’t have the guts to tell him that you’re more than that!’ Calypso was fuming.  
‘I can’t do that, Calypso! I’ll get fired! And I NEED this job. Look, I love you, and I want a future for us. I need the money so that I can get a place for us, then you can be happy’ Leo took Claypso’s hands in his kissing them ‘I can be who you want me to be, Calypso. I really can’.  
Calypso’s eyes watered and her mouth quivered ‘That’s just it, Leo. I don’t want you to be what I want, I want you to be what you want. Respect yourself. But I can’t be with someone or love them if they don’t get what I love about them’.  
‘Calypso?’ Leo asked confused, almost frightened.  
Calypso slowly slid her hands away from Leo’s and covered her face.  
Her body was shaking and she sniffled.  
‘I can’t Leo. I’m tired of seeing you like this. I can’t tell you how to be happy or satisfied with yourself if you don’t realize it yourself. I-I just…can’t’.  
Leo tried to wrap his arms around her but she shoved them away ‘No! That’s not how it goes, Leo. You can fix machines, not people. You can’t make it all okay when it’s not’.  
‘Calypso…’ Leo whispered ‘I’ve tried to find reasons to like myself all my life. I found that reason. I found you. You and your beautiful hands’.  
Leo sat down on his knees, kissing Calypso’s hands, trying not to cry.  
‘Your beautiful voice, the beautiful way you care about everything that lives, your…your beautiful heart. I found you. Please don’t take my reason away’.  
Leo hugged Calypso’s body, Calypso was crying now, hiccupping and shaking her head.  
‘No’ she said ‘No Leo. You still don’t get it. I don’t want promises. I want you to be happy with yourself first. And until then…’  
She untangled Leo’s hands from her waist and went to the door.  
Leo cried after her but she kept shaking her head with a last word ‘I wish you a great life’.  
Then she was gone.  
Leo’s eyes betrayed him.  
He stood there staring at the door, empty and cruel.  
Nico and Will were both dead silent, staring at Leo as if he’d lost a piece of his heart.  
Which he had.  
Leo sat on his couch and buried his face in his hands.  
‘Fuck it all’ he whispered to himself.  
Tears streamed down his face, and his voice moaned in self-disgust and agony.  
The gay couple managed to very slowly sneak back into Nico’s room.  
It wasn’t particularly hard though.  
Leo couldn’t look up or concentrate in reality if a meteor hit him.  
You have no idea how much he wished it did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO? Any good? Hope u enjoyed it and yes girl power, Annabeth saved herself cuz shes awesome <3 anywayyy pleaseeee comment and kudos and all that fun stuff <3 luv yall MWAHH! <3


	16. Jealousy and Winx Club

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, life is just crazy. I got a C in PE cuz I couldnt jump through a stupid fucking pole. I have math, history, chemistry, physics, Citizenship and Latin exams HA fucking HA. And this chapter is such a filler, I wont lie, but I PROMISE the next is smth SUPER SUPER special. Im trying to finish the Kane Chronicles's "The Red Pyramid" ASAP so I can watch the new season of Haikyuu and Durarara! and other animes Im SO far behind. Nad theres also the anxious wait for Trials of Apollo. AND the stress of choir (yeah Im in choir) and the karate tournaments are super close. SO yeah life is kiling me but I WILL SURVIVE!! ANywayyy, hope u like this, next chapter will tackle on the idea of Nico trying to bond with Amy and Will doing his best to be the referee along the day. Comments on likes but mostly on complaints for the story and kudos ;) Thanks u to everyone who commented some AMAZING things about this crap. I love u all <3  
> Stay safe out there Solangelo shippers <3

Nico di Angelo wasn’t a particularly calm person. He could get severely angry if tempered with.  
And leaving a shopping cart in the middle of a tight aisle when Nico was shopping, did NOT help improve his mood.  
He was just about to yell at the carefree fucker when his phone vibrated in his black skinny jeans.  
His caller ID read “Fuckface”.  
Nico answered with an amused smile ‘Hey Jason’.  
‘Dude, pick up banana muffins’ whispered Jason.  
‘Why are you whispering impossible requests’ whispered Nico back.  
‘Piper’s sleeping. And I’m stuck here on the couch as her pillow after 3 hours of crying because we didn’t have any banana muffins’ whined Jason.  
‘The why didn’t you ask Le…’ Nico cleared his throat.  
A silence cut the bickering over both lines.  
After Calypso dumped him, Leo left the apartment with a note the very next morning explaining how Calypso was right, that he didn’t know how to like himself, that he needed to figure things out. He didn’t leave an address, phone number or particular plan. Just that he’d be back as soon as he built his own life.  
So the Leo subject was a touchy one, Nico bit back his tongue and settled for snorting and joking ‘I told you a thousand times Grace: condoms are gifts from God’.  
‘Too bad you didn’t tell me TWO condoms were an even more valuable gift’ growled Jason.  
‘Go with Jesus, Grace’ suggested Nico.  
‘Ugh, hearing you talk about religion is just wrong’ Jason shivered.  
Nico laughed ‘I’ll get the stupid muffin. You don’t wake the dragon. I’ll be home in 15 minutes max’.  
‘Hurry!’ shrieked Jason mid-whisper ‘She’s starting to toss around. That’s NOT a good sign’.  
Nico shook his head with a smile and hung up.  
A man with the looks of about 28, dark brown hair, stormy grey eyes and a sinfully sexy goatee came and rolled the space blocking cart away.  
Nico raised his eyebrow when the guy in question rolled to the sweets aisle, Nico’s same stop.  
He rolled behind the guy with his cart but stopped dead in his tracks.  
Will was at the aisle himself, browsing at strawberry muffins (strawberry, how did Nico ever even think this kid could be straight?) when sexy cart pusher guy tapped Will’s shoulder and they hugged for a very, very long time.  
The guy kissed Will’s forehead and put his arm around his shoulder and Nico almost threw a bag of chocolate bars at them.  
Will was giggling at something Mr sexy buttface said, then he spotted Nico and grinned.  
‘Nico! Get over here’ Will exclaimed excitedly as he took Nico’s hand and dragged him next to Mr sexy buttface, who gave Nico a warm smile.  
‘Malcolm, this is Nico, my boyfriend’ said Will proudly and sneaked an arm around Nico’s waist.  
Malcolm smiled and offered his hand to Nico ‘So you’re “the most adorable person who’s ever breathed”’.  
Nico blushed as he shook hands with the guy ‘Will exaggerates’.  
‘Nope’ grinned Will and kissed Nico’s cheek.  
‘I’m Malcolm’ he continued ‘Will’s brother and I were boyfriends’.  
Nico suddenly remembered Will’s story.  
Michael had kissed a boy who’d comforted him after Stuart’s abuse.  
He was his boyfriend. The guy who set Will straight. Or rather, gay.  
THAT Malcolm.  
‘N-nice to meet, you. I heard a lot of great things about you too’ said Nico trying to smile past his shyness.  
‘I’m sure he has’ said Malcolm as he straightened his glasses back on ‘Michael was…a really amazing person’.  
Malcolm rubbed his eyes and chuckled a bit ‘Sorry, still a tad touchy of a subject’.  
Nico’s face held earnest sympathy at this point ‘I’m sorry for your loss’.  
Malcolm put his hand on both Will and my shoulders ‘Love can be quite inspiring. Cherish it, and above all, appreciate it’.  
‘Malcolm!” complained Will with a roll of his eyes and a pair of pink cheeks.  
‘Excuse me. I just can’t help but say stuff. It’s a sickness, really’ said Malcolm.  
Will chuckled in a secretive way, like they were sharing an inside joke.  
Nico would be lying if he said that he wasn’t just a tiny microscopic bit jealous.  
Malcolm was tall and handsome with bright grey eyes, that sexy Wolverine goatee and the way his glasses fit accented his polished cheekbones.  
He was a giant super-hot daddy.  
And Nico looked like a comic book store clerk who has a fetish for black.  
Fucking awesome.  
Malcolm checked his watch and sighed ‘Well, I’m late to pick up the twins from school. I’ll see you later, Will. And Nico’ he offered Nico his hand ‘It was a pleasure meeting you’.  
Nico smiled sincerely for the first time ‘Thank you, likewise’.  
Will hugged Malcolm tightly and Malcolm tousled his hair ‘See ya, kiddo’.  
Will waved goobye and turned with a quite confused look on his face when he saw Nico cock up an eyebrow and cross his hands.  
Nico didn’t want to seem like a possessive, jealous little dick, but he couldn’t help it. Will just hugged Johnny Depp’s and Brad Pitt’s love child.  
He wanted answers.  
‘What?’ asked Will, still oblivious.  
‘What’s with all the flirting?’ asked Nico ‘You looking to get into the guy’s pants?’  
Will’s light bulb shone ‘You think me and…? HAHAHAHAHA’.  
‘Will, he hugged you AND he makes Indiana Jones look ugly. Of course I think you and him!’ confined Nico.  
‘Sweetie, he’s been happily married for 3 years. He and his husband have adopted twins’ said Will as a matter of factly.  
Nico mentally slapped himself.  
He hated it when he presents his negative opinion to somebody and it turns out they’re not on the same page.  
Will just smiled and kissed Nico’s temple ‘My heart belongs to you, dummy. Nobody else’.  
Nico’s overwhelmed anger melted into that little kiss that still ghosted on his skin.  
He definitely loved Will.   
Then something unusual happened (sense the sarcasm): Will got a phone call.  
Will took out his screen chipped IPhone 4 and answered ‘Hello?’  
Nico was helping the cashier slide the grocery through the scanner and into the plastic bags as he eyed Will curiously.  
Will had a nervous but somehow good kind of nervous smile.  
He nodded and pressed the red button.  
‘Hey, Death boy’ he said sheepishly ‘Did I ever mention how much I love you?’  
‘What favour do you want, Will?’ Nico sighed as he rolled his eyes.  
Will bit his lip ‘Well, there’s this little kid and she has an alcoholic, licence lacking stepdad, so there’s no one to pick her up to school but her big brother. And her big brother has a gorgeous moody boyfriend who might not want to meet her. The girl’s name is Amy. And I love you, ok?’  
Nico stared at Will for a second then burst into full laughter.  
Will pouted ‘So it’s a no?’  
‘You’re a fucking moron. C’mon, we don’t wanna leave Amy waiting. Plus if we go there fast enough, all her friends will hate her for being picked up by two hot fags in a truck’ Nico walked along to the mall doors, swirling Cecil’s truck keys around his index finger.  
It was Will’s turn to laugh ‘Damn, di Angelo, you’re almost better than TV’.  
Nico chuckled ‘You have NO idea’.

Nico was acting all noble and smirky, but honestly?  
If he hadn’t earned his self-respect upon dating Will, he would’ve peed himself right about now.  
Will’s whole life revolved around Amy.  
She was the only family he had left. Not different from Nico and Hazel’s bond.  
Amy was Will’s hardcover book that he kept especially well conditioned and comforted.  
If Nico didn’t get along with Nico, it’s not like Will’s gonna dump his little sister and be with Nico.  
One of them would have to go.  
So Nico had to really suck up his usual hate aura and grin for the kid-camera.  
He hadn’t even tried smiling again and his cheek muscles hurt.  
Then he ran multiple scenarios inside his head of what Amy would look like.  
Probably like Will.   
A small girl with coppery skin, parted teeth, creamy freckles and sun-blonde hair.  
That probably explains why Nico didn’t recognize who Amy was when he pulled over at the walkway and Will got out the car hugging this porcelain milk skin coloured girl with long limbs, brown-red straight hair and fierce dark blue wolf eyes.  
In the phone she sounded like a 8 year old kid that had a Winx Club themed backpack holding up Barbie stickers and pink markers in her pockets.  
Amy actually had a “Ponyo” backpack and seemed to be reading “The Kite Runner”.  
When she looked up at the windshield and saw Nico’s face from the window, she grinned a heart-melting smile and waved.  
This was it.  
Either great or hate.  
Will’s love on the line.  
No pressure.  
Here it goes.  
Nico opened the car door and got outside to meet Amy, Will’s aforementioned little sister.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit. Complete shit. Enjoy :)

Chapter 17: Impossible

At the risk of repeating himself, Nico loved clouds.  
They were so clean and simple.  
They did not feel, they did not stay.  
They got to fly and see everything and they didn’t have to commit.  
They didn’t have to try.  
But sadly, once again, Nico is reminded that he is not a cloud.  
He is a 19 year old human being who likes writing about things people don’t have time to read.  
He liked talking about things people didn’t want to listen to.  
That’s just who he was.  
The unpopular puffin, modestly strolling about his own path, hoping he doesn’t trip in a way that prevents him from getting back up.  
That’s where he felt most associated with clouds.  
As long as he didn’t get attached, he did not have to fear getting hurt or judged for being himself.  
That’s what he told himself when he was laid down on the campus grass, staring up at the clouds in the sky.  
But months from then, here he is; staring at his man as he leaned down to tighten the scarf around his sister’s neck.  
And Nico found himself being afraid.  
Amy Chapman/Solace was 12 years old, yet her eyes held more brain and heart than most of Nico’s old classmates combined.  
Her dark blue eyes were big and intelligent, aware of everything around her, alert of every movement and mentally prepared to respond to any word spoken to her.  
She looked like a fragile child with a lot riding on her shoulders.  
Through all the anxiety, Nico managed to crack a smile.  
This kid reminded him of Bianca.  
Grown up before she was ready to.  
Forced to walk after just learning how to crawl, the pressure of having to surpass those around you and yourself to feel potent enough towards your superiors.  
The pressure of trying to get attention for your own self.  
Will kissed her cheek and she wrapped her arms around him tightly, the scarce eyes melting to a child’s smile for now.  
Bright or no bright, she was still a child inside.  
As are we all, thought Nico.  
Then it happened: Nico and Amy looked each other in the eye for the first time.  
Amy’s eyes stuck to Nico’s image for a long time, truth be told, Nico was getting uncomfortable.  
It was like she was studying Nico, deconstructing every atom his boy carries and evaluating him whether he’s eligible enough to stand next to her only left family.  
Nico sighed.   
Today was gonna be an absolute picnic.

The perks of having a financially challenged boyfriend: they know all the cheap but good quality food joints.  
The inside had an exposed kitchen with a beefy hairy guy slicing meaty bits of the vertically rotating lamb&chicken roll.  
After finding a decent spot to sit in, Willl got up from his chair smiling at Nico ‘I’m going to the bathroom to wash my hands. Be right back’.  
‘You’re the only male above 18 years old who still washes their hands before eating’ scoffed Nico.  
‘And you’re the only male under 30 years old who can’t use tumblr!’ accused Will back.  
Nico shrugged ‘We can’t ALL be losers without lives’.  
‘Oh, sure, Shakespeare’ muttered Will rolling his eyes and walking his way to the bathroom.  
Nico smiled at that.  
After Will finally was out of eyesight, Nico grinned to himself and kept his eyes on the menu.  
‘Clearly’ said Amy, not even looking up from her book.  
‘Excuse me?’ asked Nico.  
‘I can see clearly why Will loves you’ supplied Amy, still not interested in eye contact ‘You guys click’.  
‘Black and sunny don’t always click’ confessed Nico.  
Stupidly enough, he felt talking to the kid.  
‘On the contrary’ Amy finally closed her book and looked up with a smile ‘The sun radiates light, light begets shadows. Both sides need each other to survive. Darkness and Light are more related than people think’.  
‘I’m not a shadow, I’m complete pitch black’ Nico pouted.  
‘No you’re not’ said Amy.  
‘How would you know?’ asked Nico.  
Amy drew a soft anticipating smile ‘Will falls in love with people, not shades’.  
It wasn’t always that Nico got stumped.  
He always had a snarky reply at the back of his mind ready for potential use.  
But of all people capable of resorting Nico to a drainage of words, he did not expect a 12 year old with a missing front tooth to get there first.  
‘Aren’t you supposed to be a kid NOT a philosopher?’ retorted Nico.  
Amy snorted ‘Stereotyping isn’t a rare talent, I see. Besides, you can hardly expect me to act like a kid when I’m expected to act like an adult’.  
‘Amy, no one expects you to act like an adult’.  
‘Not out loud. With a drunken abusive stepfather, dead siblings and mother, ignoring father and a troubled elder brother, you can’t really squeeze into all that stuff and sit on the carpet playing lego and eating cheese puffs. When the world around you is nothing but reality, how can you not grow?’  
Nico decided that joining into this little moral ping pong dance off wasn’t such a bad idea ‘That doesn’t change the fact that you’re a kid’.  
‘Tell God that’.  
Oh, if Nico only could. He’d add a few heartfelt hate-mail in the God postcard bag, too.  
‘What about Will? Have you told him that?’  
Amy raised an eyebrow ‘You’re joking right? Will can barely manage keeping up his own emotional stability. I don’t want to add fuel to the fire’.  
‘Then why tell me?’  
‘Because you’ve felt like this before, too, haven’t you? You still do’.  
‘How can you possibly tell, Solitude Guru?’  
‘Because we both worry Will. We both lie to make him feel better, because he comes first’.  
‘Or maybe we’re scared of disappointing him’.  
‘And he’s scared of disappointing us. I’m his sister, it’s implied. But you remind him of his past mistake so he makes sure not to do it again. The idea that it could be impossible infuriates him so he challenges it’.  
‘I bet you have a 5 page report all about Will inside that Ponyo backpack of yours’ smiled Nico. ‘You’re a good sister’.  
Amy’s eyes lit up ‘Thank you’.  
Nico sighed and plopped on his chair ‘Ever think we’re gonna figure Will out, kiddo?’  
Amy started searching for her bookmark in The Kite Runner ‘Impossible things do happen. They’re called miracles though’.  
Nico laughed.  
‘Wow, Nico di Angelo laughing, what in heaven’s name happened while I was peeing?’ asked Will, sitting on his own chair as he pecked Nico’s cheek.  
Nico rolled his eyes but smiled ‘Your sister. She’s 12 and still smarter than you’.  
Will winced ‘You cut me deep, darling’.  
Nico huffed ‘It’s my moral responsibility to do so’.  
Amy giggled and Willed turned to her with a smirk.  
‘You two seem to hit it of pretty well without me’.  
‘Exactly’ said Nico ‘It’s a clear sign that you’re not needed’.  
Will stuck his tongue out.  
‘You were right Will’ said Amy and winked at Nico ‘Your boyfriend is pretty cool’.  
‘Don’t I know it’ Will grinned at Nico and kissed his lips.  
‘Awwwwww’ cooed Amy.  
‘Blegh’ shot Nico.  
Amy guffawed and Will poked Nico’s tummy playfully.  
Nico was really, really lucky.

The rest of the day ddin’t go as badly as Nico thought.  
For one, Amy like him and Will seemed content.  
They went to a park where Amy read her book on the swing set while Nico and Will smooched in the slide tube, they got ice cream and Will practically coated Nico in strawberry cream just because.  
But then, as it always does, night came along.  
They were right outside Stuart’s building, Will hesitant to let Amy leave without confirming Stuart’s current state  
‘I’m just going to ummmm check’ assured Will.  
He opened the door and got out of the truck.  
Amy sighed.  
‘Do you blame Will?’ asked Nico.  
Amy seemed thrown ‘Of course not!’  
‘He thinks you do’ confessed Nico ‘Will thinks it’s his fault Stuart’s an ass’.  
Amy mock gasped ‘Bad language in the face of a child?’  
Nico shrugged ‘You’ve probably heard worse’.  
Amy leaned across the window, staring at the falling snow ‘I never blamed Will. Or Michael. Or mom. You can’t really blame people for your messy life, because for all you know, theirs is messier’.  
Nico glanced at Amy.  
Her eyes held pain Not the kind you shoulder and save to throw later.  
Her eyes were like steamed windows, just waiting for someone to brush the steam away.  
She was strong, but she needed someone. She needed Will.  
Her brother was all she had left as family, and Nico had taken him for himself.  
‘Your life will get better’ Nico assure, a tone of grief in his voice but desperation in his eyes ‘I promise you that’.  
‘You’re a good person, Nico. Thanks for being there for Will. He needs someone to hold him every once in a while’ said Amy.  
Nico snorted ‘Actually, it was Will who was there for me. I have to admit, I love your stupid brother more than anything’.  
Amy giggled.  
A couple of minutes later Will was back with an enraged expression and force in his movements. He got in and shut the truck door aggressively.  
‘Drunken bastard’ he muttered under his breath.  
Nico narrowed his eyes worriedly.  
Will sighed tensely, plopping his face in his hands and leaning on the steering wheel.  
Nico put a hand on his shoulder ‘Amy can stay the night at my apartment. I really don’t mind. Besides, Piper’s dying to hang out with a kid so she can “waken her maternal instincts”’.  
Will chuckled ‘Really? Is it ok? Just for tonight?’  
‘Absolutely’ agreed Nico.  
Will hugged him ‘I love you, baby’.  
‘Wow a hug for a sleepover, I wonder what do I have to do to get something more out of you’ smirked Nico.  
‘You perv’ smiled Will on Nico’s lips.  
Amy cleared her throat ‘Kid in the back, virgin eyes?’  
Will turned to Amy apologetically ‘Ames, Nico and I just agreed for you to spend the night at his place. Cecil’s in London visitng Lou Ellen and I don’t have a key. What’dya say?’  
‘I say you should prioritize your keys better; answered Amy.  
Will pouted ‘I meant about the plan’.  
‘Oh, sure! That works’ grinned Amy.  
Nico prayed briefly he had a spare blanket that didn’t have his and Will’s cum on it.  
In a short summation, Piper gushed over Amy like she was her own kid, Annabeth made conversation with her and her book, Percy and she joked around like idiots driving Jason crazy, and Amy couldn’t help hugging the Frazel couple. Reyna even made a long speech about middle school perseverance and provoked the kid with motivation.  
But there was still something missing inside that silly atmosphere, and everyone knew what it was.  
Leo.  
Nobody had heard from him yet. Or Calypso.  
And safe to say, nobody touched any of Leo’s creations because A) it reminded them of Leo which made them sad and B) They were afraid the creation would explode.  
Amy fell asleep on Piper’s lap as they were in the middle of “Shrek 4” Will had rented out for her.  
Will tucked her in the living room couch then collapsed himself on Nico’s bed next to Nico, exhausted.  
‘Hard day?’ cooed Nico.  
‘Ugh’ Will moaned ‘I don’t know what I’m gonna do for Amy tomorrow other than go and make Stuart promise not to chug down half an alcohol cabinet’.  
Nico shrugged ‘maybe it works’.  
Will snorted ‘Impossible’.  
Nico scooted closer to Will ‘Funny you should mention impissoble’.  
Will looked up curiously ‘How so?’  
‘Freshman year: High School PE. Coac put up this fucking long poll up. I’m not kidding, like it was 90cm to 1 m high, and we had to jump through it with our feet in front and land behind with our feet. I tipped off the pole every time. I never got it once right. It was impossible. To this day, it’s still a symbol of my incompetence’.  
‘Point being?’ asked Will gently.  
‘I wanna pass that pole. It feels like it’s the only thing I’ve really wanted to do in life. It just seemed so impossible. Impossible things do happen, Will. You just need to priorotize’.  
Will smiled and gave a sexy growl ‘I forgot how sexy you can be when you’re getting all philosophical’.  
He met Nico’s lips and kept kissing on them and inside of them like he was hanging on for dear life.  
After what seemed like 2 hours of marking Nico’s neck with a hickey, there was a knock on the door.  
Nico put on his shirt and Will answered ‘Who is it?’  
Amy’s voice could be easily recognized through a door ‘Will, it’s me’.  
‘Come in’ said Nico.  
Amy walked in, eyes cast downwards like she was ashamed.  
‘What’s wrong?’ asked Will.  
‘I…had a bad dream again’ she said as she shifted foot to foot.  
‘Oh said Will and got up the bed to hug her.  
He mouthed to Nico “Stuart”.  
‘Want me to sleep on the couch with you?’ Will suggested.  
‘It’s too tight for two’ said Amy.  
Nico mind-sighed. Here he went again, compassion slapping him on the face.  
‘You guys can sleep here’ he admitted like he was announcing his opposing group onf SuperBowl ‘I’ll go crash the house’.  
‘Nico you don’t have to do that’ said Will.  
Nico rolled his eyes ‘Relax, Solace. It’s the same. Amy NEEDS you’.  
The word “need’ seemed to catch the attention of Will quite well so he nodded ‘Thank’s love’.  
So that’s how Nico ended up on a crummy brown couch in the morning, next to his eyes, a surprise next to his head in the morning.  
Di Angelo has a long way to go.  
And this is only the beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry yall for this bad one, life's hard


	18. Demons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry for my absence. Life's been pretty bumpy and shitty and I've been flunking school since I'm learning high school science in a different language from English (and its hard cuz i was taught sciences in English). I'm not from an English speaking country, but I was taught at a school in English.  
> It was really hard and things were falling apart, but now I'm WAY better and have a lot of free time to write. My final exams are this week and after that is a freeeee lane so "GO ME!"  
> Hope u like this chapter :) <3 love u all and thank you for being patient.

Chapter 18: Demons

‘Nico?’ asked a voice.  
Nico growled distastefully in response.  
A hand shook his body and he swatted it back ‘Go away, m’sleeping’.  
‘Nicolas, wake up’ repeated the voice, a firmer, deeper tone.  
Nicolas?  
There was only one person on this earth who calls Nico by that name.  
Nico shuddered.  
He sat up rubbing his eyes and spitting a ‘What are YOU doing here?!’  
Hades di Angelo bit his lip then went back to his stoic image ‘Business. Here in town. Just thought I’d drop by’.  
‘Ok’ said Nico awkwardly.  
They stood like that in front of each other for a whole minute.  
Then thankfully, Hades cleared his throat ‘Well, I better be uh… going’.  
Nico narrowed his eyes.  
His father wasn’t the type to just “drop by”. Something must be up. And Nico was going to find out what.  
‘Let’s have lunch today’ he blurted out ‘That Italian restaurant across the street. We can ask Hazel to tag along, so that we won’t set the restaurant on fire’.  
Hades chuckled ‘Sounds…good’.  
‘Good’.  
‘Ok’.  
Nico had been into some pretty awkward positions in his life. This would definitely make the list.  
Hades didn’t say anything more, just opened the door, waved and went.  
Nico collapsed face first on his pillow with a huge growl.  
His dad’s face was not something he wanted to wake up to. Especially after sleeping on this wood and cotton thread pathetic lump called a couch.  
He got up and rounded some cereal, pouring it in a bowl, making sure to save some for Will and Amy, since Piper got nausea and Jason was sleeping at the library.  
Ever since Piper’s pregnancy, Jason has been studying and working like a madman. Trying to find a house worthy for them to raise a child, trying to graduate asap and find a decent-paying job.  
Impossible and stupid, but that’s also what Nico would use to describe Jason so it fit.  
After downing a couple of spoons of cereal and spilling the rest in the sink, Nico went to his bedroom to get dressed and ready for his Advanced Literature Class.  
He opened the door slowly not to wake up the snuggly siblings sleeping.  
Try saying that three times in a row.  
Will had wrapped his arms protectively around Amy with his lips frozen on Amy’s forehead, like he’s been kissing it all night.  
Amy had bunched up like a little potato, her brown-red hair combed to the side and her face snuggled on Will’s chest, kind of like Nico whenever he has a shitty day and wants to soak up Will’s essence via osmosis.  
Nico smiled.  
He grabbed a pair of black jeans, a thick white sweater (Will’s, since Will did tell Nico white suited him and Nico liked *cough* borrowing Will’s clothes).  
Nico was almost done sorting his backpack when Will’s eyelids flew open, revealing a pair of startling, soft, gorgeous blue eyes.  
Nico wanted to kiss them.  
Will looked up in a daze and saw Nico packing and grinned sleepily ‘Hey baby’.  
‘Shhhhh, go to sleep you morning moron’ scolded Nico but managed a smile.  
Will pretended to think ‘Morning moron. Monron’.  
Nico sighed ‘You’re hopeless’.  
He turned his eyes to Amy and looked back at Will ‘How is she?’  
Will’s goofy grin melted to a bunched up, concerned face ‘Better. She keeps getting nightmares about that drunken bastard turning violent. He keeps yelling and threatening her’.  
Nico sat beside Will’s bed.  
‘What am I going to do, Nico?’ asked Will almost cracking ‘I don’t want to see Amy turn into Michael’.  
‘She won’t’ assured Nico ‘Because she has a big brother on her side. The sweetest, kindest, dumbest but hottest brother she could ever hope for’.  
Will smiled ‘Gee, babe. That almost sounded like a compliment’.  
‘Don’t get used to it’ teased Nico as he leaned in for a kiss.  
‘Never’ hummed Will and pressed on Nico’s lips.  
‘When they parted Will whispered against Nico’s cheek ‘Up for classic homemade Italian food today?’  
‘I ummmm actually have a lunch date with my dad’ Nico blushed.  
Will lit up ‘That’s great! So you two are finally trying to patch things up?’  
Nico furrowed his eyebrows in thought ‘Maybe. I don’t know yet. I think I’ll think about it in classes today’.  
Will shrugged ‘Well at least it’s a start. I’m so proud of you!’ he kissed Nico’s cheek.  
Nico smirked grudgingly ‘Stop trying to make me blush, you’re being too obvious’.  
‘Oh, I’m sorry’ retorted Will ‘Should I hide under a bush with a pair of binoculars and make animal noises?’  
‘Animal noises huh? Nah, not impressed. I can force you to make animal noises using just my hand’ Nico smirked and straddled Will’s lap.  
Will sighed dramatically ‘You’re going to be the death of me, di Angelo’.  
Nico grinned ‘Your mistake, mixing it up with the likes of me’.  
Will took Nico’s cheek in his palm and kissed his forehead ‘If you’re a mistake, darling, you’re the best mistake I’ve ever made’.  
Nico blushed again and pecked Will’s lips.  
That’s what he wanted. Just to sit there beside Will all day, just talking and teasing and kissing and feeling.  
Will had a knack for making Nico forget about the time and place he was in. Not necessarily a bad thing at times.  
God, how he loved his perfect piece of a Will Solace.  
Will had made him so, very happy.  
He’d given him the comfort, love, friendship, redemption and the pleasure he never thought he would get to feel with someone beside him to hold his hand.  
That’s why it stung when he remembered there isn’t anything he can do for Will.  
No way to improve his life or make him happy other than through little things that are hardly noticeable.  
Nico looked over at Amy, Will’s angelic little sister, breathe peacefully clutching the blanket to her chin.  
Nico had met Hazel when they were practically the same age.  
Hazel was tough, determined and independent. Nico always knew she could make it on her own.  
But Will’s sister was a kid. A confused lonely kid.  
And Will was in the same boat as her.  
He hadn’t finished growing up yet since half his life had been devoted to staying strong for the sake of his loved ones.  
Will played everyone’s big brother and never once did he complain.  
He took care of Nico like he was his very reason for breathing.  
He did it when they went to L.A., too.   
He treasured Nico and never asked for more.  
But it wasn’t right.  
It wasn’t fair.  
Will was a person, not a den mother. He should get the chance to get drunk and have one night stands and hang out with friends and enjoy himself, not be the stay-in parent chaperoning whomever clung to him first.  
Nico’s insides boiled in anger as he saw Will’s smile.  
How could Will be so tolerant and never break?  
And how come only he had to be the sacrificing guy that others walked on?  
It just wasn’t fair!  
And still Nico clung to him like he was his goddamn security blanket.  
Amy was his sister and she was a kid with one family left.  
What was Nico’s excuse for hogging Will’s chance at taking a deep breath to instead babysit Nico?  
‘Oi! Earth to Nico’ whistled Will as he waved a hand around Nico’s face.  
Nico took Will’s palm and rested his lips on it.  
‘Eheh, Nico?’ asked Will with a worried confused but delighted smile.  
Nico’s face melted into an emotional remorse, like he was trying to swallow down tears ‘I want you to be happy’.  
Will chuckled like Nico had sad something stupidly obvious ‘I AM happy, Nico. Having Amy be in my life, a chance to go to med school and be with the man who makes me feel worth myself and makes my heart ache every day. I’d say I’m pretty happy’.  
Nico sighed.  
You’re not happy, thought Nico, you’re high. And I can’t bear to see the sorrow in your face when the drug wears off.  
But Nico indulged Will’s answer and hugged him ‘You’re too fucking nice’.  
Will grinned ‘All for you’.  
There it was again. All for Nico.  
‘Got any classes today?’ asked Nico.  
Will shook his head ‘Just work. A LOT of work, I think I can’t come out until 10 tonight’ then he gave an apologetic puppy frown ‘I’m really sorry’.  
‘Idiota’ scolded Nico ‘Don’t apologize for having a life. You can leave Amy here. Percy can drive her to school and pick her up’.  
‘Thanks! Sorry to impose her on you guys, though’.  
Nico snorted ‘You kidding? I just hope they don’t screw her up in the head too badly. They’re like the Flinstones, Jets and Muppets in one roof. A pity salute to Amy’.  
Will started laughing, his curly blonde locks falling on his eyes and his morning voice all raspy but familiar.  
Nico felt phantom chill’s cover his skin, the way it did when he reminded himself time and time again that he was falling for Will every day.  
This is all he’s ever wanted.  
Just him, the boy who was willing to hold him, to kiss him and make him feel like his birth was a good thing.  
Nico was so, so in love with this fucking dork.  
‘She can take it’ exclaimed Will after pulling Nico in the bed with him.  
Nico was so startled he almost jumped away ‘What the fuck are you doing?!’  
‘Cuddle with meeee’ whined Will.  
‘It’s too cramped!’ protested Nico.  
‘Not for a cuddle’ shot Will back.  
‘Seriously, Solace, if we get THIS sappy on our 5 month of dating, we’ll be farting rainbows in a week’s time’.  
‘You say that like it’s a bad thing’ sighed Will, wrapping his buff blonde haired arms around Nico, snuggling his face in the Italian youth’s hair.  
‘You’re horrible’ murmured Nico comfortably.  
‘I’ve been told’ chuckled Will.  
‘And you smell amazing. I hate it’ murmured Nico.  
‘I love you too’ Will rolled his eyes. ‘Don’t you have to be in class in like 4 minutes?’  
Nico fidgeted closer to Will hiding his face ‘One more minute, I’ll start living again. Just give me one more minute’.

 

The day went stupidly slow.  
The teacher gave the students the duty of writing a project titled “What is Love?”  
Please.  
Aren’t Literary majors supposed to teach you to write without the excessive use of cheese?  
Nico’s face fell flat on his notes, wishing he could cram the information in his textbook like this; by slamming his face on them until the info realized it’s supposed to climb up to his brain and stay there for a long time.  
He also didn’t know what he was going to do today at dinner with Hazel and his dad.  
His freaking dad.  
Nico knew it was childish to, but he couldn’t help replaying the memory of how his father had beaten him the night Bianca died.  
Nico was a fucking kid who’d lost his mother and now his sister.  
Adding weight to his soldiers isn’t really healthy parental action.  
He supposed it was better than nothing. At least his dad gave enough fucks to him to even beat him.  
Will’s dad didn’t even bother to call or send a check to support his traumatized double job working son who NEEDS a parent.  
Same to all the rest of his social circle.  
Jason never got jack-shit from his dad, including Percy, Annabeth, Frank, Leo and even Hazel.  
They’d all been dragged around at one point or another for trusting their parents with their feelings, their childhood.  
But out of all the kind hearted fuckers in the group, it’s Nico the Grinch who gets the fortune of having a regretting parent who wants to make amends.  
Hades loved Nico, he knew that.  
But love without compassion, is cold.  
How can Nico be sure his dad wouldn’t do it again even if he got angry enough? Not that he was scared. Nico was an adult and could afford a phone to dial 911.  
But the act of it, if his dad would be willing to hurt Nico again.  
Not just physically.  
Nico was terrified by himself as well.   
If he didn’t forgive his dad he’d be a dick. But if he did… what would that make him? A fool, a dreamer?   
Probably just a kid looking for a dad to love again.  
Or just a father that loved him.  
Isn’t that all we ever want? He thought to himself.

After classes ended and Nico’s brain reduced to mush, he went back to the apartment to get ready to have a family meeting.  
Truth be told, when he went back, he felt like staying there.  
The atmosphere in the apartment was heart-wrenchingly comfortable.  
In the kitchen, Jason was going through some architecture thing notes while the smoke of the burning cookies in the oven hovered around him effortlessly.  
Percy and Annabeth were cuddling on the couch along with Hazel and Frank while Reyna had Amy perched up on her lap, who was remaking Piper’s side braid.  
They were all watching The Maze Runner 2: The Scorch Trials, the part where the Flare zombie dudes started attacking from left to right.  
‘Having fun, losers?’ teased Nico as hetook off his coat ‘Whose idea was it to let Jason cook?’  
‘What?’ asked Jason, looking up from his nose then smelling the burning sweets and running to get them out ‘Shit!’  
‘We’re too lazy to help him’ admitted Percy ‘Besides, wasn’t he being assisted by Calypso?’  
Nico cocked up an eyebrow ‘Calypso?’  
Then he heard a toilet flush. The bathroom door opened and Calypso was there curling a strand of hair behind her ear.  
When she noticed Nico, she waved awkwardly ‘Hi’.  
Nico felt a tinge of anger in his throat.  
Calypso was what reduced Leo to an emotional wreck.  
She was the reason they hadn’t seen their friend in almost a whole month.  
And a month later, here she was, helping Jason burn cookies as if he wasn’t a master at it himself.  
‘I invited her’ said Piper giving Nico a stern keep-your-comments-to-yourself look ‘Any complaints?’  
Nico looked at Calypso.  
Though he was sure Calypso is a gorgeous person, right now, she looked like shit.  
Her eyes were sunken and red rimmed, her skin pale and her clothes fit a little too big on her thin posture.  
Nico had seen that look before. He walked with a body like that through all of his teenage years.  
Calypso had always been a question mark to him. She always seemed so clean and pedantic and on top of things, keeping Leo on the check like Annabeth did for Percy.  
Had Leo’s absence really affected her this much?  
‘No, ma’am’ answered Nico ‘No complaints’.  
Calypso smiled at Nico quite pitifully. She looked battered and tired.  
Her smile said “I’m trying”, but her eyes said “Enough”.  
A Crank in the movie were scratching on a guy named Weston and the group made squinty faces.

‘Ouch’ oohed Amy ‘That’s got to hurt’.  
Nico could only nod.  
‘Hazel, you better be ready. We’re meeting dad in for lunch in 6 minutes’.  
Hazel smiled at Nico, like she was thanking him ‘Sure thing, big brother’.  
Nico went to his room to change clothes and comb his hair.  
He got out of his bedroom, applying cologne to his cheeks while asking ‘And can you guys feed Amy? Will’s going to work late tonight so he won’t bring pickup’.  
‘Nah, we ordered pizza’ said Percy.  
Nico found the cologne smell a little different and wasn’t surprised when he looked at the bottle.  
“Sunny Shaves: so light it makes your skin shine”.  
‘Will has the shittiest taste on colognes’ muttered Nico and secretly hugged the bottle.  
Calypso went to the couch and snuggled on Piper’s arm.   
She looked like she was trying not to cry, but nobody really looked.  
They didn’t want Piper skewering them later.  
‘Come on, Hazel. We’re late’.  
Hazel kisses Frank with an open mouth, which made Nico choke, then hugged Amy and the rest.  
Nico just waved and gave a last glance at Calypso before leaving the door.

Nico and Hazel holds hands as they shiver in the wintery cold night.  
Hazel kept talking to Nico about her wedding plans, how she wished she could marry by the lake at night, filled with fireflies and freshly baked strawberry cupcakes.  
And in those moments Nico could swear Hazel morphed into her 7 year old self, a hopeful light in her eyes, and a smile of a child.  
He could imagine the rainbow hairclip holding her hair away from her forehead, her small cotton gloves and giant bunny earmuffs.  
God, how Nico wished he could turn back time.  
He wanted to go back to the day they were first presented to this shaking, teary, quiet African-American girl with band-aid wrapped fingers and nothing more than a mini-suitcase with a brush, coloring crayons and white pieces of paper.  
He wished he could go back and ug her right then and there.  
He wished that during his teen years he could’ve gotten his head out of the clouds and asked Hazel if she had any issues for a change.  
If puberty was stressful, if studies were too hard for her, if she still wanted to go horseback riding in the spring, if she still had nightmares of her mother mourning in agony, if she liked someone who didn’t like her back.  
He wished he hadn’t been so selfish to a person like Hazel.  
A person who deserved her own palace and servants.  
While Hazel kept talking and shooing the occasional snowflake off her nose, Nico kissed her cheek ‘I love you, you know that?’  
Hazel was a little surprised at first, then smiled a chocolate warm smile and returned the kiss ‘I love you more. And… thank you. For giving dad, for giving our family a chance after everything that’s happened. I know it must be tough for you to swallow all of…that. You’ve been so strong. I’m proud of you, Nico’.  
Nico tightened his grip on his sister’s hand.  
Idiot, he thought. Those are my lines.  
When they walked a little further, their father was waiting by a Stop post just outside the restaurant.  
He was dressed, uncharacteristically, in black.  
‘Dad!’ Hazel shouted happily as she ran towards her father’s arms, engulfing him into a hug.  
Hazel smiled and kissed her temple, congratulating her on her engagement.  
Though he did warn he was going to pop in from time to time to investigate this “Zhang” fellow he does not remember, even though Frank had visited their house almost all summer so Hazel could “tutor” him.  
Then came the awkward part where the di Angelo males did not know how to greet each other.  
Hades took a step forward and hugged Nico, tightly.  
Nico felt…he couldn’t find any words for it. His father hadn’t hugged him since he was 6.  
He’d missed it.  
Nico blamed his stinging eyes on the cold, not his father’s physical display of fatherly affection.  
The night started off pretty good.  
The restaurant reminded Nico a lot of his mother, the Italian colour she oozed as she walked.  
The smell of her casserole, the semi-corny but classic Italian opera playing in the background, candles, life, and lots of wine.  
Nico guessed his father must be thinking the same thing since his eyes shrunk to a distance so deep nobody could break into.  
Hazel kept talking to them about college and her horseback riding classes she’s been taking lately and her plans on getting a job once she graduates.  
Hades actually smiled the whole time.  
‘So dad, where’s Persephone?’ asked Hazel.  
Hades made a pity face ‘With her mother. I don’t know WHO would want to spend time with Demeter but…’  
Hazel laughed and Nico smiled.  
Nico felt mixed emotions at the moment.  
The night itself was going really smooth, but every time Nico looked at his dad, a lump formed inside of his tummy, expanding like a bubble that won’t pop.  
And why did their dad call a meeting all of a sudden?  
Did he have news?  
Or was it just mere regret after shadowing his kids for such a long time?  
Either way, Nico would find out.  
‘So,’ Nico put down his glass of wine and licked his lips ‘how’ve you been dad? Any news or announcements?’  
His father’s smile melted into a face of shame ‘…Not in particular. I…I’ve been thinking. I’ve missed you two. And I’ve been wondering if you guys were willing to spend Christmas with me’.  
Hazel and Nico’s jaws probably broke as they hit the floor.  
Their father, mister doom and gloom who hates holidays and sentimentality and doesn’t celebrate Christmas since his wife died wants to celebrate it with his kids?!  
‘Frank and Will are invited too, of course’ added Hades.  
Nico and Hazel shared a look.  
‘Dad’ Hazel asked concernedly ‘Have you been doing drugs?’  
Hades actually belt out an enormous laugh ‘I’m sweating nervously to tell my kids I want to spend time with them, and they think I’m mentally unstable?’  
‘Yeah!’ said Nico and Hazel in unison.  
Hades sighed, kind of happy ‘I want to give you guys a family again. I know I’ve fucked up a lot in the past. I’ve been unfair to both of you and I am really sorry. I still don’t know why you left from Lost Angeles when you came to visit Nico. But whatever the case, I want you two to be sent off in your own lives with recent memories of happiness, even if your old memories weren’t so good. I want to be your father again. I want us to feel like they do in the movies at Christmas. I want us to be happy again. So, will you spend this Christmas with your old man?’  
Needless to say, they didn’t disagree. They already started planning what to get each other for Christmas.

It was 1 AM when he came back home.  
The couch gang had scattered to their own individual homes and Amy had made and fallen asleep on the couch.  
He shook his head, and picked up Amy, putting her on his bed.  
Amy mumbled something along the lines of “Nighty night, Will” so Nico played the part and kissed her forehead goodnight.  
He went back to the living room and plopped down exhausted on the living room couch.  
He turned on the TV and took out his phone to text Will when he heard a loud thump out in the hall.  
‘What the fuck..’ he mumbled under his breath and turned the TV off to go check on the hall.  
The door banged as if someone was rapping at it violently.  
Nico took a frying pan from the kitchen and slowly walked to the door.  
When he opened it, he was shocked to find Will sitting on the floor wagging his foot at the door, probably why it caused so much noise.  
‘WHAT THE FUCK WILL?!’ Nico put the pan down and helped his boyfriend off.  
‘Hi Nico!’ giggled Will and lost his footing as Nico tried to hold him up.  
‘Will why are--’ Nico sniffed Will. He reeked of alcohol. ‘Are you DRUNK?!’  
Will’s cheeks were rosy red and his eyes were dilated.  
He hiccupped and whispered in Nico’s ear ‘yes, but don’t tell Michael, he’d kill me’.  
Nico’s heart sunk.   
Last time Will got drunk he’d had horrible hallucinations of his brother and crashed in a tub, grabbing a total stranger in not to feel alone in that kind of emotional hell.  
Why the fuck did he drink again?  
Will wobbled over to the couch and collapsed face first.  
He started laughing like he’d heard a joke from Whose Line is it Anyway when Nico hissed “Shhhhhh”.  
Will followed his example shushing himself.  
‘Michael will take away my allowance if he hears I’ve been drunk-driving’ pouted Will.  
‘You’ve been drunk driving?!’ scolded Nico.  
‘Shhhhhhhhhh’ advised Will.  
‘Will, I think we should go asleep now’ Nico tried to cover Will with the blanket on the couch.  
‘No!’ screamed Will ‘Stop! Get AWAY FROM ME!’  
Will fell on the floor and started crying ‘Stop hitting me! I’m just a kid, I’m not ready! I like girls! I Like girls! I Like girls I like girls!!’  
Nico wasn’t sure what he could do.  
Seeing Will like this… he finally got the fear Will felt when he saw Nico in LA. It’s heartbreaking.  
After 5 minutes of Will crying and Nico holding him, Will asked ‘C-can we go somewhere?’  
‘It’s late, you should sleep Will’ said Nico.  
‘Please? I’ll let you drive. Please, please, please’.  
So that’s how they ended up driving in the middle of the night in December to the cemetery.  
Nico was led by Will around the cemetery where a single small stone with the named “Michael Yew” carved on it lied.  
Will stepped forward and shouted at the grave ‘Shut up, Michael! Shut the fuck up! I couldn’t help you, okay? I couldn’t! It’s NOT my fault. It’s not…ok…it’s just not’.  
Will fell to his knees and grabbed Nico’s wrist, pulling him closer so the grave could see Nico too.  
‘I love a guy! You can’t haunt me anymore! You can’t keep telling me I’m a horrible person! I’m NOT! I’m doing the best I can to make everybody happy so it’s not fair! I couldn’t save you, but I can save myself. I want to be happy again, I wanna feel happy! You can’t weigh me down anymore. I love Nico, I can’t live without him! He’s the only thing left in my life I can lean on and you can’t just ruin that for us! He’s all I have now. Please, I’M BEGGING YOU! Stop yelling at me. Stop blaming me. I love him. I swear I do. And I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you loved someone else too. I’m sorry I just”  
‘Will, that’s enough’ Nico patted Will’s back ‘It’s not real, he doesn’t blame you Will. You’re just seeing things. Please calm down.  
Will hugged Nico so tight it squeezed the reluctant tears from Nico’s eyes.  
‘Nico?’ asked Will.  
‘Yeah?’ asked Nico.  
He wasn’t completely phased by Will now. If anything, he was expecting it. Will needed a chance to burst and breahe. And Nico will be there for him as much as he could.  
‘I miss my mom’ said Will ‘She died on Christmas. I miss her food and I miss her support. I miss Michael and Lee too. But Nico, I miss being a kid. I miss being expected to make mistakes. And I miss being taken care of when I’m sick or sung to at night and brought Chunky Munchies, the really shitty cheap kind. I wanna sing Christmas carols and I want to get a present this year. Anything I want. I want to be hoisted up on the Christmas tree to put the Christmas star on. I miss my mommy. And I miss celebrating Christmas. I miss my mommy, so so much’.  
Eventually, after 3 hours of crying and moaning names of the dead loved ones, Will felt tired and they drove back home.  
They snuggled on the couch with Will still feeling sad and empty.  
Nico slipped his hand in Will’s and sung to him a sleeping lullaby Will wished for.  
‘I love you, Will. More than you’ll ever know’.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Liked it? Hated it? Loved it? meh? PLEASE COMMENT BELOW. And to my last comment thank u so much <3 comments fuel me to write faster updates guys pleaseeee <3 love u all


	19. Let it Be

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys again for being sooooooooooo late with this but remember when I said I got better? yeah that didnt last, but now it is lasting. I had like NO inspiration, I couldnt write ANYTHING. LITERALLY. But my soul and happiness is back and I am just sitting here in agony waiting for the Trials of Apollo. And lol im not Christian im actually from a muslim country (i myself am agnostic) but I love talking about different religions theyre rlly cool  
> Oh AND side note: read Magnus Chase........fircking genius book almost made me give up on reading it was that good. Anyways not to bore you please go on. ANd THANK U SO MUCH to the people who commented on my work last times and for everyone leaving kudos, i swear every time I see smn commented or kudos-ed I feel like a freaking brought back to life soul. Anywayyyyy enjoy <3

Nico was getting tired of being the only one who woke up in the afternoon to see that everybody else had left him in the apartment alone.  
Did he have to set an alarm clock to be the cool guy who wakes the other with a smirk that says “I woke up earlier than you, so that means there’s something you don’t know”?  
Nico groaned, rubbed his heavy eyelids and yawned like a lion’s roar.  
He could see his gorgeous reflection in the TV screen, how his irresistible hair had decided to reach the sky at all costs.  
‘No wonder everyone left the apartment’ he snarled.  
Then something clicked.  
Last night. Will.   
His throat suddenly dried, like he’d suddenly tried to gulp down a boulder.  
Nico ran his hands through his fingers to make his hair look presentable enough for New York sidewalk (which didn’t take much) and got up the couch.  
He stopped when he noticed a sticky note on the coffeetable.  
He picked it up and it said:

Come to church, need to talk to you.  
Love, Will.

Church? But wasn’t it Saturday?  
Fuck it, thought Nico.  
His man needed him.  
He put on his winter accessories, locked the apartment door and rushed down to the merciless wind of the New York winter wonderland.  
Nico didn’t like churches. Never have. They were big, cold and spooky.  
This one, though, was a completely different story.  
Sure, it was humongous, had giant statues of ladies with disks on top of their heads looking at you with a vague expression like one of those diaper baby commercials.  
But all in itself it was gorgeous.  
The side walls were decorated with mosaics of Jesus walking the marketplace of Jerusalem, dragging the cross he was about to be crucified to along with him, his wrists being nailed to the cross, Maria Magdalena crying her eyes out as she stared at the pained expression of the man she loved slowly suffering the agony of consequence. Of trying to do what’s right as opposed to what he wanted.  
Nico could not help but relate Will to Christ and himself to Magdalena.  
Both couples had the charming saviour and the sinning soul aching for love.  
The front though was the jewel on top of the crown.  
The front wall had a giant statue of a woman with that shiny disk on her head, cradling the baby in her arms.  
They both had these expressions, like: We can read through your very soul. Careful, no funny moves.  
That sent a chill through Nico’s spine.  
The minister’s preach podium had been pushed next to a statue of a man with a sheep by his side, Bo Peep’s cousin maybe.  
And in place of the podium, a modest piano had been set.  
And on that little piano, sat a man with a lock of blonde curly hair.  
Will wasn’t playing a specific song per se.  
He was just pressing key after key, as if he was searching for a specific note that would better his life.  
Nico looked around.  
The church was empty.  
Not even a priest or something to look after the religious palace filled with many expensive statues.  
And, of course, a hot blondie with a hangover.  
Nico started walking across the room, his snowy shoes squeaking and sploshing against the church floor so loud and acoustic.  
Will stopped playing an turned his head.  
He looked awful.  
He looked worse than a 5 year old sock lost somewhere in the domestic jungle we refer to as the sofa.  
His eyes looked bloodshot and red rimmed, his nose and cheek were rosy pink and his lip shivered.  
That’s what he looks like after he cries, Nico understood.  
Will’s lips twitched a sad smile ‘Hey, Death Boy’.  
Nico couldn’t find it in him to smile after seeing the guy he’d kill for look the way he looked.  
‘Hey’ Nico replied lamely and sat on the piano’s bench, fitting inches and shooing Will’s butt further.  
Will turned to look at the piano keys again.  
‘I’m sorry’ whispered Will.  
Nico knew Will well enough by now.  
He wasn’t apologizing for crying. He was apologizing for drinking.  
‘Why?’ asked Nico.  
Will stared off into space for a whole minute before replying ‘I failed college’.  
Nico looked at Will, shock clear across his face.  
Will went on ‘We had this exam we had to ace to pass for next year. My whole class passed. I was the only one that failed’.  
Nico did not comment, he could tell Will needed some space to talk.  
‘I’ve always been that guy. My whole life. The only one who didn’t get that one easy exercise right. The one person who couldn’t throw the ball in the hoop. I wasn’t dumb, I was just clumsy. I’ve always felt a less than. I’ve always BEEN one. I never had enough money, enough guts, enough love. And when I sat on that exam that day I felt like everyone around me was sitting on a higher chair than I was. Like they were staring me down and telling me that no matter how much I bust my ass for med school, my sister, my job, myself, I’ll always be sitting in the small chair. I’ll always be the last to finish. I got my results on the exam yesterday at work; 89 out of freaking 200! That’s what I had to show for staying up nights on end. 89 freaking points! I felt like I’d disappointed everyone. On Christmas. My mom, my brothers, my little sisters. You. I felt awful and I was coming to your apartment when I saw a bar nearby, I thought maybe just one, to soothe the nerves. I started thinking about mom and Christmas trees and how goddamn long it’s been since I’ve celebrated Christmas. We tried once, Amy and I. We got a little tree and made dinner but I started sobbing in the middle of saying grace and Amy apologized. Can you imagine? A kid apologizing for wanting to celebrate Christmas? Before I knew it, I was drunk as a skunk. I started seeing things. I felt Michael yelling at me for judging him for being gay. I remembered the day I came out to myself. It was in this church right here that I realized “Hey, I like boys, too”. But it’s been hard, Nico. I can’t cheat my life. I can’t hide under the covers when I think the boogeyman is under the bed, I can’t drink cocoa after a snowy day and I can’t have the puppy I’ve needed since I was 4. I can’t have any of those things. Because I’m the big brother now. Amy depends on me. And I have to make it, I-I have to be on t-t-top of things…mainly because t-there’s no one else left to do it’.  
Will’s eyes shone glassy, ready to water ‘A-and I can’t ask Stuart or he’ll beat the crap out of me or, God forbid, Amy. I-I wanted to keep it to myself but I felt like I had to tell you how messed up your boyfriend is. It’s too much, i-it’s way too much. But I-I-I have to be the one to know and do it all because if I don’t, I’m a bad person. I’m a very-very bad pe—’  
Will started hiccupping and exhaling.  
Nico embraced Will and kissed his golden childish curls ‘You’re not a bad person Will. You’re quite frankly the most wonderful human being I’ve ever come cross upon. Don’t ever say that about yourself. You’re the kindest soul and you have the shittiest jokes in the world’.  
Will chuckled mid-sniff and hiccup.  
‘You’re gentle and sweet and you work harder than anyone I’ve ever seen to make people happy. Even if it means giving up your own’.  
Nico cupped Will’s cheeks in his palms and rubbed the tears with his thumbs.  
‘You’ve never been less than. You can’t see just how more than you are. How you know how to say the right word every damn time. How you make people forget how much life sucks. And I’m your proof because, trust me, it’s hard to crack me open. You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen or loved. Will, you’re not an empty vase. You’re a flower. A legit flower’.  
Tears still kept on running, but Will had an innocent smile on his face ‘You really believe that?’  
Nico booped Will’s nose ‘Of course, you super-gay dumbass. But Will you don’t need somebody to tell you you’re special. As much as I hate to say it, you can’t always depend on someone to be there at tough times. I might not always be here. So in those times you have to remember that you’re far better than you give yourself credit for. Please don’t forget that’.  
Will’s face turned grim, but he nodded.  
He rested his head on Nico’s shoulder while Nico kept playing chords on the piano.  
‘So’ asked Nico ‘Why church?’  
‘I love church’ replied Will ‘My mom was very Christian, not the gay-hating kind, mind you. But she loved church and I’ve been coming here since I was a kid. Feels nice to sit on a bench and believe that someone could fix your problems for you, even if just for a sec’.  
‘Huh. I’m not really a big believer. I’ve been an atheist since Junior high’ admitted Nico.  
‘How come?’ asked Will.  
‘I don’t know, I just don’t really buy it. Too cruel… Do you come here a lot?’  
Will shrugged and sniffled ‘When I feel sad, I come here and talk. Especially on Christmas’.  
Nico frowned sadly ‘Will, why didn’t you tell me your mom passed away on Christmas?’  
Will didn’t answer right away, as if considering the answer ‘It’s not really something you just announce. I can’t be like “Gone for some McDonald’s, babe. Oh and P.S. My mom died on Christmas”’  
Nico nodded.  
‘Do you miss her?’ he asked.  
Will buried his face deeper in Nico’s shoulder ‘A lot. All the time. Do you miss yours?’  
Nico smiled ‘Yep. Every damn day’.  
After a while of silence, Nico cracked his fingers and started playing the piano.  
Nico was playing the instrumental, then Will suddenly joined in singing Let It Be.

When I find myself in times of trouble, mother Mary comes to me,  
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be,  
And when the broken hearted people, living in the world of greed,  
There will be an answer, let it be.  
Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be.  
Whisper words of wisdom, let it be.  
‘Nico?’ asked Will.  
‘Yeah?’   
‘Why doesn’t mother Mary come to ME when I find myself in times of trouble?’  
Nico put his hand on Will’s shoulder ‘Maybe she does and you don’t see her’.  
They stayed like that till their lips moved on their own and they shared a long, sweet and deep kiss.  
Will’s lips tasted of scotch.  
Nico’s of pasta.

‘C’mon’ urged Nico ‘I want to take you somewhere’.  
‘Where?’ asked Will, delighted.  
‘You’ll see’ promised the Italian youth.  
***  
‘A pet store?’ asked Will confused.  
Nico just shook his head amusedly and grabbed Will’s hand, urging him inside.  
The pet store was pretty small, but there was a cage of 3 little puppies running around, stomping on the other’s ears.  
‘Pick’ said Nico.  
‘What?!’ asked Will.  
‘I want you to pick one for Christmas. Then we can go and buy stupid sappy decorations’ Nico blushed and plastered a growl on his face to hide his giddiness.  
Will’s mouth hung open ‘You’re incredible!’ he pecked Nico’s lips till he pushed him off.  
‘Yeah, yeah, I know I’m awesome Solace. Now pick one’.  
Nico honestly couldn’t resist the spark of delight in Will’s eyes. It was like the man in front of him melted into a little boy, waiting patiently for Christmas.  
Will felt warm too. And quite honestly, a little teary again.  
The pups were funnily enough all different colours.  
There was a white puppy with lots of fur.  
A golden retriever which Will fell instantly in love with.  
And then there was a little black hound, who was playing with a wooden stick.  
Will smiled and booped the hound’s nose ‘This little guy’.  
‘Really? Nobody fancier?’ asked Nico.  
‘I happen to like creatures who wear black and are secretly hyper’ Will winked.  
‘You’re seriously picking that dog just because it reminds you of me?’ asked Nico lamely.  
‘But of course. Because you are the light of my life, fire of my loins’.  
‘You’re a geek’.

After they got out of the store, Will warmed the pup in his jacket until they reached Cecil’s truck.  
‘What should I call her?’ wondered Will.  
‘She’s your puppy, you name her’ said Nico.  
‘Something noble and humble. Like hmmmm’ Will tried to remember names of heroes ‘I GOT IT! Mrs. O’Leary!’  
Nico narrowed his eyes ‘Seriously?!’  
Will shrugged ‘Why not?’  
Then he leaned to Nico and kissed his cheek ‘Thank you, Nico. This is the best gift I’ve gotten in years’.  
Nico dropped his guard even for a second ‘You deserve it, Merry Christmas you big marshmellow bag’.  
‘Awwwww you smiled’.  
‘No, I didn’t’.  
‘Yes you did, you robot!’

So that is how they spent the whole day. They bought a Christmas tree, decorations, food, brought it all up to the apartment and left them on the floor so they can decorate the place with Amy and Piper and everybody else.  
Will sat on the couch, exhausted, Mrs. O’Leary lying down comfy beside Will’s hand.  
Then Nico came in the kitchen with two glasses of wine filled with hot cocoa.  
Will laughed ‘You’re unbelievable’.  
Nico smirked ‘Who cares?’  
After sipping and laughing as they played with Mrs. O’Leary’s tail (and her trying to catch it looking hilarious) Will’s smile shrunk.  
‘What do I do about school?’  
‘You can retake the exam in spring’ assured Nico.  
Will winced ‘Study anatomy in 2 months. I don’t think so, especially with all the stuff on my plate already’.  
‘I’ll help’ replied Nico ‘Quite place, books, time, taking care of Amy, I’ll do it, no problem. You just focus on passing this time or I’ll take Mrs. O’Leary away!’  
To prove his point, Nico lifted the puppy and scooted her to his side of the couch.  
‘Oh no’ exclaimed Will with the smile ‘I’m definitely passing’.  
He jumped, trying to reach the puppy while battling Nico on the couch with tickle attacks and the like.  
Then after making out for about half an hour, Will stopped to say ‘Babe’  
‘Yeah?’  
Will hugged Nico again, needily. Every ounce of his affection for the Italian poured into that embrace.  
‘Thank you for bringing back Christmas to me. And… everything. Thank you for being with me, I love you’.  
Nico smirked and returning the hug, he whispered to Will’s ear ‘I loved you first’.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Just a quick confession of my upcoming works:  
> 1\. Typewriter- ITs a sequel to Moments its about how Michael and Malcolm fell in love and Michael's hard life and how he died in detail :) im nice  
> 2\. Pretty Man- a version of Pretty Woman but in this version, Will is Edward the businessman and Nico is Vivian the hooker but here hes the male hooker so eyah ;) look forward to it cuz i have some SPICY ideas for that  
> 3\. Bully me softly with your love- Nico is bullied and Will cant seem uncool in front of his friends so he has to pretend to be a homophobic bully to the guy he loves the most in this world but dw it has a happy ending  
> 4\. Youve got mail- From personal experience, Ive had a year old love crush on my best friend and it was super hard getting closure so i wanted to write that experience in Solangelo form so yeah Will loves Nico but Nico likes Percy plus Will and Nico are bffs he cant think like that about his homey....can he?
> 
>  
> 
> Thats all for now, pleaseeee comment u have no idea how happy one comment makes me, let alone 5 :3 reviews, ranting anything comment as long as ud like id love to hear ur preferences and critiques regarding this in detail. Thank u love u all <3 an a Happy New Year, Christmas, Orthodox Christmas, Hannukkah, Kwanza ANYTHING luv u <3

**Author's Note:**

> So... What do you think so far? :) COmments super appreciated.


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